Mumbai: Claiming that the Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders have made controversial remarks on the birthplace of B.R. Ambedkar, the ruling ally Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will hold ‘maafi maango’ (Beg Forgiveness) demonstrations in Mumbai on Saturday (December 17), a senior leader said here on Friday December 16.
The agitation will happen simultaneously as the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) and around 50 parties and groups will hold a mega-procession in south Mumbai on Saturday morning on various issues.
BJP Mumbai president Ashish Shelar told mediapersons that party leaders and activists will hold black flags and placards to protest against the Sena (UBT) at different places in the city.
He condemned Sena (UBT)’s attempts to raise doubts on the birthplace of Ambedkar, the chief architect of the Indian Constitution and champion of the depressed classes.
“We have sent Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut a couple of official publications authored by BJP MLC Bhai Girkar on the life of Ambedkar and urge him to read it to understand history. There are attempts to rewrite history and it is not acceptable to us,” said Shelar.
He accused the Sena (UBT) of deliberately spreading lies about Ambedkar’s birthplace and said on Saturday, they will claim that Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray wrote the Constitution and he was responsible for India’s freedom.
Shelar also slammed the comments of Sena (UBT) Deputy Leader and firebrand orator Sushma Andhare for ridiculing Hindu gods, saints, the Varkaris etc and wanted to know “why Uddhav Thackeray is keeping silent on all this”.
In order to protest against all these issues, the BJP will conduct a ‘maafi maango’ agitation, he said.
