Ambedkar's birth anniversary celebrated in Maharashtra

Mumbai, Apr 14: The 121st birth anniversary of Babasaheb Ambedkar was celebrated today in Maharashtra, where various functions and prayer meets were organised to mark the occasion.

Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan offered floral tributes to the statue of Ambedkar at Chaityabhoomi at Shivaji Park in central Mumbai.

Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and MPCC chief Manikrao Thakre also offered floral tributes to the architect of the Constitution.

A function was organised at Rajiv Bhawan in south Mumbai, where AICC incharge of Maharashtra Mohan Prakash paid tributes to the first Law Minister of independent India.

At the Indu Mills compound, adjacent to Chaityabhoomi, activists of Republican Sena, led by its chief Anandraj Ambedkar, staged a demonstration demanding grand memorial of the Dalit icon there.

The long-pending demand for land for the memorial saw progress last month with the Centre granting in-principle approval to transfer the mill premises for the project.

The activists were demanding that the entire 12.03 acres of Indu Mills land in Dadar, which is controlled by National Textile Corporation (NTC), be given for the memorial.

In Nashik, local NCP MP Sameer Bhujbal, Mayor Yatin Wagh, Deputy Mayor Satish Kulkarni and RPI leaders Dadabhau Nikam and Ganesh Unhavane garlanded the statue of Ambedkar.

PTI