KCR names Telangana secretariat after BR Ambedkar, corners Modi on Central Vista

HYDERABAD: Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR), speaking in the Assembly on Tuesday, demanded that the Central Vista, the new Indian Parliament building, be named after Dr B R Ambedkar. The same, by force or by compulsion, was endorsed by Telangana BJP President Bandi Sanjay. The Telangana BJP also started toeing the same line.

The same day, the AIMIM President Asaduddin Owaisi demanded that Telangana's new Secretariat be named after Dr B R Ambedkar. This appears to be an apparent scheming by Chief Minister KCR. The demand from Owaisi was wangled by KCR. Soon after, the government acceded to the demand.

KCR on Thursday said that the new Telangana State Secretariat would be named after Dr B R Ambedkar, the Father of the Indian Constitution, and a Bharat Ratna awardee. He asked the Chief Secretary to make necessary arrangements for naming the building.

KCR said, "Naming the Secretariat after the Indian social visionary Dr B R Ambedkar is a matter of pride for all the people of Telangana. The Telangana government is moving forward with his philosophy that all the people of the society are equal regardless of their social, political, economic and cultural backgrounds. Inspired by his philosophy, Telangana forged ahead to emerge as the most secular State in India."

The Chief Minister also said that Ambedkar's ideology of implementing federal spirit, equal rights and opportunities could be ensured to all the communities. A true Indian is someone who respects everyone without discriminating on the basis of caste, creed, gender or region, he said.

"Telangana, which has become a role model for the country in all aspects, is once again setting an example by naming the state secretariat after Ambedkar," he said.

KCR also said that India's new Parliament building should also be named after Dr B R Ambedkar. He said that he would also write a letter to the Prime Minister regarding this.