BJP 'hampering' Ambedkar's ideals of Constitution: DMK

Press Trust of India  |  Chennai 

The DMK today alleged that the BJP-led Centre was hampering B R Ambedkar's ideals behind the making of the Indian Constitution.

"The BJP-led Centre steered by is working in a way (that is) hampering Ambedkar's ideals which led to the making of the Constitution," said

After paying homage to on here, the DMK appealed to his cadres and workers of 'friendly parties' to take a vow to "end such betrayal."

"Let us take a vow (on the birth anniversary of Ambedkar) to save the country from the BJP government which is trying to saffronise all the (public) spheres against through its of communalism and linguistic chauvinism," he said.

In a tweet in Tamil, he credited with having established social justice and equality.

Stalin, who is also the of Opposition in the Assembly, said a DMK-led meeting of leaders of opposition parties will be held on April 16 at the headquarters of his party to deliberate the next course of action on the Cauvery issue.

A rally led by covering the Cauvery basin regions of concluded on February 12 and a petition was submitted to seeking him to facilitate a meeting with on the issue.

said a "massive protest demonstration" of the Opposition, led by his party, against the "dilution" of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act will also be held on April 16 at Valluvar Kottam here.

In its March 20 judgement, the had 'diluted' the SC/ST Act's stringent provisions mandating immediate arrest, leading to nation-wide bandh by Dalits.

The top court had said that on "several occasions", innocent citizens were being termed as accused and public servants deterred from performing their duties, which was never the intention of the legislature while enacting that Act.

The apex court had directed a preliminary enquiry by a rank officer to find out whether the allegations make out a case under the Atrocities Act and whether the allegations were not frivolous or motivated.

While the Centre filed a petition seeking review of the judgment, massive protests and violence were witnessed on April 2 on the issue.

On April 12, the Centre submitted in the that its verdict was causing disharmony and damage to the country.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

First Published: Sat, April 14 2018. 16:45 IST