Congress' Nehru legacy claim falls flat as UPA regime ‘insulting’ Ambedkar revealed

New Delhi: The political contest over B.R. Ambedkar's legacy has sharply escalated, with the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) trading charges over historical narratives, ideological ownership, and allegations of deliberate neglect. While the Congress seeks to defend the image of Jawaharlal Nehru, the BJP has focused on what it calls Congress' long-standing marginalisation - and at times hostility - toward Ambedkar.

The latest flashpoint was triggered by Sonia Gandhi's remarks at the launch of The Nehru Centre India, where she criticised what she described as "systematic attempts" to denigrate Nehru's contributions. She argued that Nehru's legacy should be viewed in its historical context and accused the present establishment of trying to dismantle the foundations laid during his leadership. Her comments were widely interpreted as a rebuttal to the BJP, which has frequently questioned Nehru's decisions on Kashmir, China, and centralised economic planning.

However, the BJP has countered that Congress' defensive posture on Nehru stands in sharp contrast to its historical treatment of Ambedkar. Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan last year revived the controversy surrounding a 2012 NCERT Class 11 textbook published during the UPA-II era, which carried a cartoon depicting Nehru whipping Ambedkar. The illustration drew widespread criticism from Dalit groups and BJP leaders, prompting then HRD Minister Kapil Sibal to apologise in Parliament and withdraw the cartoon.

The matter resurfaced when BJP IT department head Amit Malviya questioned why Yogendra Yadav - the chief advisor to the NCERT committee responsible for the textbook and a figure associated with Congress-linked platforms - continued to be embraced by the party despite the episode. Malviya alleged that such instances reflected deeper patterns of insensitivity toward Ambedkar and Dalit concerns.

The BJP has positioned itself as a more authentic custodian of Ambedkar's legacy, pointing to initiatives undertaken under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, including memorial projects, scholarship schemes and public commemorations. Party leaders argue that Ambedkar's ideology of social justice aligns more closely with their empowerment narrative than with Congress' "Nehru-centric" approach.

Congress, meanwhile, maintains that the BJP is selectively invoking history for political gain. Yet the broader debate underscores deeper ideological differences: while Congress' narrative remains anchored in Nehruvian secularism and centralised governance, the BJP has woven Ambedkar into its discourse on national unity and empowerment of marginalised communities.

As both parties intensify efforts to claim Ambedkar's legacy, the battle has evolved into a defining ideological contest with significant political implications. (IANS)

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