Andhra Pradesh CM Jagan Mohan Reddy Unveils World's Largest BR Ambedkar Statue In Vijayawada

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and head of YSR Congress Jagan Mohan Reddy on Friday unveiled the world's largest-ever statue of Dr BR Ambedkar in Vijayawada. With a 206-ft tall bronze statue of the messiah of the oppressed standing proudly in the heart of the city (Ambedkar Swaraj Maidan), the YSRCP government conveyed a clear and bold message to the over 75% populace of the State belonging to SC, ST, BC & Minority communities that it considers them the 'BACKBONE CLASS' and is committed to empowering them - financially, politically and socially.

At the event, CM Reddy addressed thousands of people especially from marginalised communities, stating "I am very happy to see that the land of Bezawada (Vijayawada), once a renowned hub of elite capitalism, has now become the epicenter of social justice."

"The Ambedkar Statue in Vijayawada will inspire future generations to fight inequality. This is not just a statue, it is much more than that. It is a symbol of equality and it will remind you each day about your rights (people's power). It is here to show my commitment and the work we have done in the last 56 months. It is a powerful figure that will change the mindset of the capitalists as it stands as a voice to the voiceless."

Chief Minister compared BR Ambedkar's statue with the USA's iconic Statue of Liberty and said, "When we speak of the Statue of Liberty, it stands as an icon and identity for the United States. Today, Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh has proudly etched its name on the global stage with the world's tallest tribute to Dr. BR Ambedkar ~ the Statue of Social Justice."

Elaborating on how YSRCP Government followed the ideals of BR Ambedkar in transforming lives, CM Jagan stated, "From Kuppam to Ichchapuram, we have revolutionized every village and every household by empowering women through education as envisaged by Dr. BR Ambedkar. We have also worked tirelessly towards bringing in administrative and agricultural reforms, industrial and infrastructural overhaul while prioritising social justice."

Reminding people that untouchability still exists even after 75 years of Independence, CM Jagan said, "Leaving government schools in dilapidated conditions where underprivileged children are educated, is a form of untouchability practiced by Chandrababu Naidu and his cronies. Not providing permanent houses for backward classes is another form of untouchability practised by TDP. Criticising the distribution of smart tablets to underprivileged children studying in government schools is also a form of untouchability. This is in absolute contrast to the ideals of the YSRCP government that has successfully implemented Ambedkar's ideology. We have focused entirely on the overall development and progress of the backward classes."

Highlighting how the YSRCP government fulfilled Ambedkar's dream of social justice by providing 70% of ministerial positions in the cabinet to the backward communities, CM Jagan mentioned, "Out of the eight Rajya Sabha MPs nominated by the YSRCP, 50% of them were from the SC & BC communities. In addition, the government allocated nine out of 13 Zila Parishad Chairman posts to backward classes and sent a total of 29 MLCs belonging to backward castes to the legislative council since coming to power in 2019."