New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday hailed Dr BR Ambedkar, the Father of the Indian Constitution, as a visionary who worked tirelessly to integrate marginalized sections of society into the mainstream.
Speaking in the Lok Sabha during the discussion on the 'Glorious Journey of 75 Years of the Constitution of India,' the Prime Minister emphasized that Ambedkar's goal was to ensure that no section of India remained weak in order for the country to achieve true development.
He further noted that Ambedkar introduced the reservation system to provide equality and rights to underprivileged communities, particularly the Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and Other Backward Classes (OBC).
"Baba Saheb Ambedkar was a visionary who dedicated his life to bringing the marginalised sections of society into the mainstream...His goal was that for India to develop, no section should remain weak. To achieve this, he introduced the reservation system, which aimed to provide equality and rights to the underprivileged," he said.
However, PM Modi criticized the manipulation of this system through vote-bank politics, launching a strong attack on the Congress. He claimed claiming that they had hijacked the reservation system, using it for political gain.
"However, vote-bank politics hijacked this system. Some people attempted to manipulate reservations based on religion and appeasement...Notably, the victims of such sins were SC, ST, and OBC communities," he added.
The Prime Minister further accused Congress of prioritizing the "pleasure of power" and a "hunger for power" above the country's needs. He also noted that while his government had also amended the Constitution, those amendments were made with a commitment to the unity, integrity, and bright future of the nation and in full alignment with the spirit of the Constitution.
"For Congress, the pleasure of power and hunger for power... this is the only history, the present of Congress...We have also amended the Constitution... but we have done it for the unity of the country, for the integrity of the country, for the bright future of the country, and with complete dedication to the spirit of the Constitution," he said.
"For the sake of power, for the sake of hunger for power... to please its vote bank, Congress has played a new game of reservation on the basis of religion, which is against the spirit of the Constitution," PM Modi added.
The two-day debate on 75 years of the Constitution started in Lok Sabha on Friday. (ANI)