Ambedkar's 50th death anniversary observed

New Delhi, Dec 6 (UNI) Vice-President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today led the country in paying glowing tributes to the architect of the Constitution, Dr B R Ambedkar on his 50th death anniversary.

At a function at the Parliament Annexe, Dr Shekhawat, Dr Singh and Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee pail floral tributes at the statue of Dr Ambedkar.

Marking the anniversary as a national protest day against atrocities on dalits, CPI activists staged a sit-in at the Capital and accused the government of failing to prevent and control caste discrimination in the vulnerable sections of the society.

Members of Parliament Gurudas Dasgupta, S Sudhakar Reddy, D Raja and other Left leaders addressed the demonstration.

In Maharashtra, lakhs of followers of Dr Ambedkar converged at Chaityabhoomi, a national memorial built in his honour at Shivaji Park in Central Mumbai.

Elaborate security arrangement has been made in the wake of violent protests by Dalits in the state last week and also for the Babri mosque demolition anniversary, being observed today.

Rapid Action Force, paramilitary forces and riot control police have been deployed in the sensitive areas.

In Madhya Pradesh, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh addressing a programme organised on the occasion said the government accorded top priority to socio-economic problems of 'dalit' and weaker sections of society.

In Bihar, functions were organised by different organisations like 'Hum Dalit' founded by JD(U) MLA R R Kanaujia, and All India United Muslim Morcha to mark the day.

In Jharkhand, the Congress and BSP paid floral tributes to Dr Ambedkar.

Floral tributes were also paid to the leader at Dr Ambedkar Study Circle at Chandigarh.

In Himachal Pradesh, Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, Excise and Taxation Minister Rangila Ram Rao, Industries Minister Kuldeep Kumar, MLAs Harbhajan Singh Bhajji and Biru Ram Kishore among others paid tributes to the leader.

Meanwhile, reports from Karnataka said 14 people, including a journalist, were injured in a police lathicharge on a mob protesting alleged desecration of the fence around Dr Ambedkar's statue at Mannekeri village of Bidar.

Police opened fired in the air, after they failed to quell the mob, which indulged in stone-pelting and vandalism. They torched a bus and damaged eight others.

Official sources said some miscreants had hung ''chappals'' along the fence erected around the statue, which was yet to be unveiled. Learning about the incident, a 3000-strong mob went on rampage on National Highway 9 near the village.

In Uttar Pradesh, adequate security measures have been made after some anti-social elements yesterday damaged the statue of Dr Ambedkar in front of the law faculty of the Allahabad University.

The right arm of the statue was broken, while other parts of the statue including the face was also damaged. The state government has ordered a high level probe into the incident which comes on the heels of a similar case of desecration of the leader's statue in Kanpur on November 28. The incident sparked off violent protests in Maharashtra and was echoed in Parliament as well.

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