Nobody can snatch reservation from Dalits or tribals: Narendra Modi

New Delhi: Nobody can snatch the rights of Dalits, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in New Delhi Monday, rubbishing ‘talk’ that the BJP was against reservation for the community.

“Nothing has happened to reservation of Dalits and tribals in BJP-ruled states. These are lies spread to mislead the people,” Modi said while launching the B R Ambedkar Memorial in the capital today.

Delivering the Ambedkar Memorial Lecture, Modi said, “Reservation can not be taken away even if Baba Saheb were to appear in person. Who are we to abolish it?”

Laying the foundation stone for the Ambedkar National Memorial -- to be built in Ambedkar's 26, Alipur Road house -- the Prime Minister accused his opponents of "spreading confusion and lies" on reservation, and said such attempts might serve politics but they weaken the nation's social fabric.

"When Vajpayeeji became PM, a campaign was run saying reservation would be abolished. He was the Prime Minister twice and nothing of that sort happened."

"BJP has ruled in Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Punjab and Haryana for many years and the quota policy never suffered. Yet rumours are being spread. People, who are only interested in politics, fail to come out of it," Modi said.

The Prime Minister's renewed pitch on reservation comes ahead of Assembly polls in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Assam, Kerala and Puducherry beginning next month.

He repeatedly questioned "why it took 60 years" to build a memorial to Ambedkar. He said Ambedkar as law minister had to resign from Jawaharlal Nehru's cabinet because nobody would back the Hindu Code Bill -- a move aimed to codify and reform Hindu personal law in India by giving women equal rights in many spheres like property.

Linking the waterways bill brought by his government in Parliament with Ambedkar's views on India's maritime strength, Modi said no work on it happened in last 60 years and the difference is visible now -- "when some bhakta (devotee) of Baba Saheb comes in government".

The Prime Minister compared Ambedkar to world leaders Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela, who had fought for the rights of blacks.

Training his guns on opponents, he said it was "indeed difficult to digest defeat", a swipe at Congress which faired poorly in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.

"Some people don't like us. They don't even want to see us. They get a fever on seeing us and lose control of their minds. That is why they lie and say absurd things. Those who did not work for 60 years have given us a chance… and we take pride in building a memorial,” he said.

Modi said it was for the first time that the Prime Minister was delivering the Ambedkar Memorial lecture which is now in its sixth year.

Without naming the Congress, the Prime Minister repeatedly attacked it on the ‘treatment meted out to Ambedkar’ in the last 60 years, saying had the Dalit icon been projected rightly many that grip society now would not have existed.

"Everybody knows what injustice was done to Baba Saheb and who did this injustice to him. What was the reason that previous governments kept the decision on Indu Mills pending for so long? Same was for the place Babasaheb stayed in London. Even after this, we are being blamed and bad-mouthed. Wherever we have got the opportunity to serve, we have taken decisions out of 'shradha' (reverence) towards Dr Ambedkar," said Modi, whose government was recently under attack by Opposition over the suicide of Dalit scholar Rohith Vemula.

Modi also listed several measures taken by his government for the welfare of Dalits.

Ambedkar’s memorial will be built in his 26, Alipur Road house. Modi declared to inaugurate it on April 14, 2018. He said the memorial would be ‘grand and iconic’.

The Prime Minister compared the contribution of Sardar Vallabhai Patel and Babasaheb Ambedkar and said while Patel united the princely states, Ambedkar united society.

Modi also spoke about the three mantras given by Ambedkar -- to educate, organise and struggle, which are relevant even today. He also highlighted how the icon held no bitterness against anyone when he had power, despite suffering so much humiliation, including that against his mother.

"No bitterness is seen in the expressions of Ambedkar. There is no feeling of revenge. For Ambedkar, the upper castes also belonged to him as also the dalits," Modi said, adding that sometimes the tongue is inadvertently cut by the teeth but we do not uproot the teeth for the same.

Alluding to the defeat of Congress in 2014 Lok Sabha polls, the Prime Minister said it is very difficult to digest defeat, but noted that society and country are bigger than defeat and victory.

In a veiled dig at his political opponents who have repeatedly targeted the government on Dalit issues, he said while Ambedkar worked for the cause of the downtrodden inspired by the duty for the nation and society and not for power, there are others for whom only the last mattered and not nation and society."

Accusing the previous governments of not projecting Ambedkar in the right perspective, he said had this been done a number of social problems would not have existed.

"This question can arise in any body's mind that Ambedkar passed away in 1956 but why work for a memorial is being started 60 years after. 60 years have passed, I don't know who will be held accountable for this. But, we had to wait for 60 years. Perhaps, it was a blessing of Babasaheb Ambedkar on me that I got the opportunity to do it," he said.

Modi also recalled the vision of Ambedkar, saying he had envisioned a lot of things during his time, which later governments have brought in. He cited examples of labour reforms and steps taken for empowerment of women, besides strengthening India's maritime power.

He also said that Ambedkar had worked a lot for labour reforms as he thought of industrialisation for the progress of India and labour reforms for the poor.