With an eye on the Dalit community at a time of polls, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Monday celebrated the 128th birth anniversary of Dr B R Ambedkar at Jalandhar’s Dalit-dominated Buta Mandi area. It also accused the Congress and its candidate of “disrespecting” Dr Ambedkar, so they had “no right” to ask the community for votes.
Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal said that the party has shown Dr Ambedkar “disrespect” by ignoring his birth anniversary. He also lashed out at Congress candidate Chaudhary Santokh Singh, saying that in 1952, then Congress stalwarts like Gurbanta Singh, his late father, had greeted Baba Sahib in Jalandhar with black flags.