'Ambedkar Yatra' starting from Hazrat Nizamuddin railway station launched

HYDERABAD: The tourism ministry, in conjunction with the railway ministry, launched an ‘Ambedkar Yatra’ special starting from Hazrat Nizamuddin railway station in Delhi. The train, under the Bharat Gaurav scheme, will take about 600 passengers on an eight-day journey from New Delhi to Dr B.R. Ambedkar’s birthplace in Mhow in Madhya Pradesh, Nagpur, Sanchi, Sarnath, Gaya, Rajgir and Nalanda and return to New Delhi. The package includes food and lodging at the place where the train will halt overnight.

The service was launched by Union ministers G. Kishan Reddy and Virendra Kumar. Speaking after flagging off the train, Kishan Reddy said, “No other government has incorporated Dr Ambedkar’s thinking and his ideas into the governance framework and policies as much as the Narendra Modi government.”

He said the eight-day journey, apart from educating passengers about the life of Dr Ambedkar would help them know more about India's rich culture, glorious history and ancient heritage. “The journey will give everyone a glimpse of ‘Ek Bharat-Shreshtha Bharat’ and ‘Unity in Diversity’,” he said.

Kishan Reddy said the pro-poor policies of the Centre reflected Dr Ambedkar’s ethos and the principle of not getting into politics to enjoy it but to ensure that the downtrodden got their rights. “It is with this spirit that the Centre introduced and is implementing programmes such as Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, Swachh Bharat, Stand Up India, and Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana,” Kishan Reddy said.