Ambedkar’s principles part of PDA’s foundation: Akhilesh

Lucknow: Paying rich tributes to BR Ambedkar on his birth anniversary, Samajwadi Party national president Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday said Babasaheb’s principles are a part of the PDA community’s foundation, which also consists of Ram Manohar Lohia’s values and SP founder Mulayam Singh Yadav’s struggle for social justice.In political circles, Akhilesh’s move to pitch Ambedkar along with SP icons like Lohia and Mulayam Singh Yadav, all side by side, is being seen as a conscious move to send across a message to the followers of the Dalit champion that they enjoy as equal a position in the party ideology as any other segment of society.SP’s Babasaheb Ambedkar Vahini also held events across the state where workers reached out to the poor and the deprived, distributed fruits and sweets, and informed them about the party’s commitment towards ensuring equality for all, said Vahini’s national general secretary Rambabu Sudarshan. Senior party functionary Prof Sudhir Panwar addressed Ambedkar’s birth anniversary celebration events at Bhainswal, Goharni, Jalalpur, Jalalabad and Sikka. Tributes were paid to Ambedkar at all party offices at district headquarters, and programmes were organised at village level where party workers reached out to the common man with the party’s commitment towards social justice and equal opportunity.In Lucknow, Akhilesh paid floral tributes at the Ambedkar statue in Hazratganj. “I offer my heartfelt greetings to all the disciples and followers of revered Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar, the chief architect of the Constitution of India. Inspiration and lessons from Ambedkar’s principles, (Ram Manohar) Lohia’s values and Netaji’s (Mulayam Singh Yadav’s) struggles (for social justice) have led to the formation of a new community, an all-inclusive PDA, which is committed to emotional, ideological, social, economic and political equality of all,” Akhilesh said.The former UP CM said PDA was nothing short of a new revolution driven by a positive mindset to ensure the rule of social justice in the ‘present history’ of the country. He described PDA as “an ideology that thrives on mutual co-ordination, collaboration, harmony and empathy instead of adopting a confrontationist outlook.”The SP chief attacked the BJP govt in the state for its failure to stop Ambedkar’s statues being vandalised. “Those who turned a blind eye to Ambedkar’s statues being vandalised are now trying to send a false message by announcing funds for upkeep of the statues.”