New Delhi: Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud paid floral tribute to Dr. BR Ambedkar on his 134th birth anniversary at the Supreme Court premises on Sunday.
Speaking to ANI, DY Chandrachud said, "This is a very special day for all of us. It's the birth anniversary of Dr. BR Ambedkar, who is the architect of our constitution and who brought about a complete social transformation. His message continues to be as valid today as it was when he was drafting the Indian Constitution."
"We are very privileged to have in our midsts the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Singapore, Justice Sundaresh Menon and his colleagues from the Supreme Court and the High Court. So this has made the occasion even more special for us as we celebrate the life of Dr Ambedkar and pay homage and tribute to him this morning," he added.
Earlier, President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid floral tribute to Dr BR Ambedkar.
Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar also paid tribute to the architect of the Constitution at his statue in the Parliament premises.
"Tributes to Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar on his Jayanti. Jai Bhim!" the Prime Minister posted on X.
"Babasaheb Ambedkar is an inspiration for various people belonging to the backward classes. He made us realise that to achieve anything, it's not necessary to be born into a rich family. In India, people born into poor families can also dream and work hard to fulfil their vision," PM Modi said in the video posted on X.
"There were times when people tried to stop them and believed that poor people belonging to a backward class would not move forward. However, the image of the new India is completely different. This India belongs to Babasaheb Ambedkar, to the poor, to the backward class," he added.
Born on April 14, 1891, Baba Saheb Ambedkar was an Indian jurist, economist, politician, and social reformer who campaigned against social discrimination towards Dalits and supported the rights of women and workers. He died on December 6, 1956.
Baba Saheb Ambedkar was a prolific student, earning doctorates in economics from both Columbia University and the University of London. In 1956. He led a satyagraha in Mahad to fight for the right of the untouchable community to draw water from the main water tank of the town.
On September 25, 1932, the agreement known as the Poona Pact was signed between Ambedkar and Madan Mohan Malaviya. Due to the pact, the depressed class received 148 seats in the legislature, instead of the 71 as allocated earlier.
He was also one of the seven members of the committee that drafted the Indian Constitution after independence. In 1990, Ambedkar was conferred with the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award.
Baba Saheb Ambedkar died in his sleep on December 6, 1956 at his home in Delhi.
—ANI