Ambedkar’s name should be corrected across the country: Governor Ram Naik

Uttar Pradesh governor Ram Naik on Friday said the name of the father of the Constitution, BR Ambedkar, should be corrected in the entire country and it was not right to politicise the issue.

His remarks came a day after the state government issued an order on using ‘Ramji’ as Ambedkar’s middle name in all references to him in official correspondence and records. Following the decision, the opposition parties had alleged that the government was doing vote bank politics ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

‘Ramji’ was the name of Ambedkar’s father and as per practice in Maharashtra, father’s name is used as the middle name by his son, Naik said.

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The spelling of Ambedkar in English will remain unchanged, but in Hindi it will be spelt as ‘Aambedkar’.

Ambedkar’s statues should be put with his correct name in all official departments in the state, Naik said, while speaking at an event in Indira Gandhi Kala Kendra here.

The governor said the name should be corrected in the entire country and a letter had already been written to President Ram Nath Kovind and home minister Rajnath Singh in this regard.

Naik, in December 2017, had started a campaign to write Ambedkar’s name in the correct way.