[Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis during the foundation stone laying of Ambedkar memorial at Indu Mill compound in Mumbai on Sunday, October 11, 2015.
Mumbai:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today laid the foundation stone of a grand memorial to Dr.Babasaheb Ambedkar at the Indu Mills compound in the heart of Mumbai.
The memorial, to be developed at a cost of over Rs. 400 crore in the city where the father of moder India and Great Architect of Indian Constitution lived for several years, is planned to be completed during the tenure of the present government.
Maharashtra Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Union Ministers Nitin Gadkari and Santosh Gangwar, Dr Ambedkar’s grandson leader Ad. Prakash Ambedkar and RPI leader Ramdas Athavale were among those present on the occasion.
Prior to groundbreaking ceremony of the memorial, Mr Modi paid homage at Chaityabhoomi near Shivaji Park, where Dr.Babasaheb Ambedkar was laid to rest, a spot visited by followers of the Constitution framer on December 6, his Mahaprinirvan Din.
Architects Shashi Prabhu and Associates, which has been commisAsioned for the project, proposes to build the memorial on a sprawling 2.50 lakh sq ft area.
The height of the Dr.Babasaheb Ambedkar statue will be 150 feet and the memorial will comprise a stupa which will be 140 feet in height and 110 metres in circumference.
There will be a Ashoka Chakra covering the memorial structure and a ‘vipassana’ (meditation) hall with a seating capacity of 13,000 people.
A section, named as “Gallery of Struggle”, depicting momentous events associated with the life and work of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, will also be part of the project.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on criticised the Congress party for neglecting the principal architect of the Constitution of India, Dr.B.R.Ambedkar by not putting his picture in the Parliament, as the latter’s picture was only put after a non-Congress government came to power.
“I want to ask why the principal architect of the Constitution of India, Dr.B.R. Ambedkar’s picture was not put in Parliament by the Congress’ regime. The picture of Dr.Ambedkar was put only after a non-Congress government came to power in 1990.
The world knows Martin Luther King, but it is very unfortunate that they do not know Dr. Ambedkar. Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar is an inspiration not just for one community, but for the entire world. The father of the Indian Constitution was not even honored with a Bharat Ratna. “They (the Congress) couldn’t accept the son of a Dalit,”
Prime Minister Modi also said that the country cannot move forward by neglecting the Dalit and other backward communities and appealed to the political parties to abstain from exploiting them for petty political gains.
“I have seen poverty, and this country cannot move forward by neglecting Dalits and people from backward communities. I want to tell the political parties not to play politics over poverty and backward communities for their benefit,”
Source =
http://www.ndtv.com/india-news/pm-narendra-modi-lays-foundation-stone-of-ambedkar-memorial-in-mumbai-1230859
https://in.news.yahoo.com/congress-neglected-b-r-ambedkar-says-pm-modi-162312881.htm