Saharanpur (Uttar Pradesh), March 14 Congress MP Imran Masood on Saturday defended Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha (LoP) Rahul Gandhi's statement on Kanshi Ram, also known as Bahujan Nayak.
Notably, Gandhi said on Friday that if former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru were alive today, Bahujan leader Kanshi Ram would have been the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh.
LoP Gandhi made the remark while speaking at a programme held at the Indira Gandhi Pratishthan in Lucknow to mark Kanshi Ram’s birth anniversary.
Supporting Gandhi's statement, Masood told IANS, "Kanshi Ram's politics, Baba Saheb Ambedkar's ideology and mission movement - the work of truly fulfilling that mission was done by the Congress."
He added, "
He further asserted that Congress is not using the issue for electoral gains, but it is instead a social movement.
During his address on Friday, Gandhi paid tribute to Kanshi Ram, saying he dedicated his life to the fight for equality and social justice for marginalised communities.
The Congress leader also acknowledged that the party had failed to fully discharge its responsibilities in the past, which forced leaders like Kanshi Ram to chart their own political path.
"If the Congress had functioned effectively at that time, Kanshi Ram would not have needed to wage a separate struggle," he said, adding that Nehru would have ensured that Kanshi Ram rose to the position of Chief Minister.
During the programme, a proposal was also passed demanding Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian honour, for Kanshi Ram.
Reacting to the Congress's proposal, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati accused the party of attempting to "exploit his name" despite what she described as its long-standing "anti-Dalit" attitude.
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