Avoid company of 'sanatanis'; remain cautious of RSS, Sangh Parivar: Siddaramaiah

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday urged people to avoid the company of ’sanatanis’ and remain cautious of the RSS and Sangh Parivar, saying they had historically opposed B R Ambedkar and the Constitution he framed.

”Keep your company right. Associate with those who stand for society, not with those who oppose social change or with ’sanatanis’,” Siddaramaiah said after inaugurating the silver jubilee celebrations of Mysore University and dedicating the new Jnana Darshana building.Referring to the recent incident in which a shoe was hurled at the Chief Justice of India (BR Gavai), the chief minister said, ”The fact that a ’sanatani’ threw a shoe at the chief justice shows that ’sanatanis’ and orthodox elements still exist in society.

This act should be condemned not just by Dalits but by everyone. Only then can we say that society is moving on the path of change.” Siddaramaiah also alleged that the RSS and Sangh Parivar had opposed Ambedkar’s Constitution and continue to do so, urging people to remain vigilant.Calling Ambedkar a visionary who used knowledge for social transformation, he said, ”Ambedkar acquired knowledge to understand society and used it throughout his life to change society.” Accusing the BJP and Sangh Parivar of spreading false propaganda in Ambedkar’s name, he said, ”They are spreading lies that the Congress defeated Ambedkar in the elections.

But the truth is what Ambedkar himself wrote in his own handwriting—‘Savarkar and Dange defeated me.’ Such truths must be placed before society to expose the falsehoods of the Sangh Parivar.Speaking about the Ambedkar School of Economics, Siddaramaiah said, ”I established it so that those who study Ambedkar may walk in his path. Ambedkar is matchless. Another Ambedkar will never be born, but everyone should follow his ideals and walk in his footsteps.”

Praising Ambedkar’s contribution to the nation, the chief minister said, ”He studied and absorbed all the constitutions of the world and gave India the best Constitution suitable for its society.” He added that he believed in the thoughts of Buddha, Basava (12th-century social reformer), and Ambedkar. ”That is why I hope rationality and scientific thinking will grow. Don’t be a person who studies science but still practices blind beliefs,” he said.Siddaramaiah also lauded the Mysore University’s Ambedkar Study Centre, which completed 25 years, and the inauguration of the ’Vishwa Jnani Ambedkar Sabha Bhavana,’ calling it ”a welcome step”.

"Unequal opportunities have created inequality. Education is not anyone’s ancestral property. What people need is opportunity. Once given, they can become scholars and intellectuals,” he said, reiterating, ”Ambedkar was a great visionary who used his knowledge for social transformation.”