Dalit leaders to gherao parliament over Ambedkar memorial

Dalit leaders from various parties have threatened to gherao parliament and hold protest march on April 30 if their demand for a Rajghat-like status of honour to BR Ambedkar's memorial here is not met.

"We have been seeking the same status for Baba Saheb Ambedkar's house in Alipur Road, where he breathed his last, as has been given to Rajghat, the cremation place of Mahatma Gandhi.

"We had submitted a five point memorandum in this regard to President Pratibha Patil on December 6 and to Union Minister for Social Justice Mukul Wasnik on November 24 last year. But, we have not received any assurance from the Centre on our demands," former union minister Ram Vilas Paswan told reporters, after chairing a meeting of an umbrella Dalit organisation Ambedkar Parinirvan Bhumi Samman Karyakram Samiti here today.

Apart from Paswan, Udit Raj (Indian Justice Party), Indresh Gajbhiye (BJP), Charanjit Atwal (Akali Dal), Ramdas Athwale (Republican Party), and JD Seelam and H Hanumanthappa (Congress) are patrons of the Samiti.

Most of these members were present in the meeting today. The Committee members will seek an appointment from the prime minister during the upcoming budget session of parliament next month over the same issue, Paswan said, adding the protest march could turn into a thanksgiving march if the demand is conceded by then.

The Samiti had on December 6 last year held a massive public meeting on Alipur Road over the same demand.