UP govt adds Ramji to B R Amdekar's name, triggers row
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Aditya Nath being presented a portrait of Dr B R Ambedkar at Bahariya in Allahabad. PTI
The Uttar Pradesh government's decision to add "Ramji" as the middle of Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar', the architect of the Constitution, has triggered a controversy, with the Opposition parties dubbing it as an attempt to garner the support of the Dalits ahead of next year's Lok Sabha elections.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, on the "advice" of state Governor Ram Naik, ordered that "Ramji" would be added as the middle of Ambedkar's name in all the official records of the state.
While the BJP has justified the addition saying that it is a custom in Maharashtra to include the name of the father in the son's name, the Opposition termed it an exercise to woo the Dalits.
"Ramji" was part of the name of Ambedkar's father.
Naik said that it was a "mistake" that has now been corrected.
Adityanath said that Naik had also advised the then chief minister Akhilesh Yadav to correct the mistake but the latter chose not to do so.
Akhilesh, however, slammed the decision saying that no purpose would be served by adding any word in the name of Ambedkar.
"Everyone, even the children, know the name of Ambedkar," he said.