BSP, BJP celebrated BR Ambedkar's anniversary for political benefits: Azam Khan

Rampur: Samajwadi Party leader and Uttar Pradesh Cabinet Minister Azam Khan has accused BSP and BJP of celebrating the 125th birth anniversary of BR Ambedkar for political benefits.

Addressing mediapersons yesterday at Jauhar University, who he is lifetime chancellor of, Khan said the BJP's celebration of Babasaheb's birth anniversary was an "attempt to garner political mileage".

"Prior to this birth anniversary of the architect of the Constitution, why the BJP never preferred to pay respect to the dalit leader," he asked.

Political parties organised several programmes on April 14 to mark the 125th birth anniversary of Ambedkar.

Khan also alleged Mayawati's BSP took advantage of the great leader and Congress also followed their tactics. "And now the BJP is taking the similar route because its decline has begun," he said.

"When a political outfit loses its credibility and people start calling it a symbol of falsehood and baseless promises, then it does what the BJP is doing now by exploiting the name of Ambedkar," he said.

Khan also criticised Mayawati for her advice to people to remain alert to the "theatrics" of RSS, asking her to clarify why she had shared power with the BJP in the past.

Last week, the militants killed 18 soldiers and wounded more than 50 others in an ambush on Basilan island, prompting a massive army offensive with artillery and aerial bombings. The military said 28 rebels had died in the week-long fighting.

On nearby Jolo island, the militants gave a final deadline on April 25 for payment of 300 million pesos ($6.50 million) ransom for each of the two
Canadians and a Norwegian captive or they will behead the three foreign captives.

Security is precarious in the resource-rich south of the largely Christian Philippines, despite a 2014 peace pact between the government and the largest Muslim rebel group that ended 45 years of conflict.

Abu Sayyaf militants are holding other foreigners, including one from the Netherlands, one from Japan, one from Norway, two from Canada, four Malaysians and 10 Indonesian tugboat crew.