MAHARASHTRA Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis paid tributes to Dr B R Ambedkar on his 66th death anniversary on Tuesday.

The death anniversary of the chief architect of the Constitution is observed as ‘Mahaparinirvan Din’.

Governor Koshyari, CM Shinde and his deputy Fadnavis paid floral tributes to Ambedkar at his memorial ‘Chaityabhoomi’ at the Shivaji Park in Dadar area of Mumbai. Also present on the occasion were State ministers Deepak Kesarkar, Mangal Prabhat Lodha, Lok Sabha member Rahul Shewale, Mumbai civic commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal and Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) chief Prakash Ambedkar, the grandson of Dr B R Ambedkar.

Chief Minister Shinde during the function said that the work to set up an international standard memorial of Dr B R Ambedkar at the Indu Mill Compound in Mumbai will be completed at the earliest. It will be a magnificent monument which the world will envy, he said. Shinde also said all memories and history pertaining to the architect of the Constitution will be preserved. Ambedkar’s house ‘Rajgruh’ in Dadar is a “historic treasure”, he said.

All the things related to Dr Ambedkar there will be preserved, and the place of Dr Ambedkar’s (another)

memorial at Lower Parel in Mumbai will be inspected, he said. “Legends create history, but Babasaheb changed

the history by instilling self-respect among those who were living disrespectful lives,” Shinde said.

On the occasion, Fadnavis said the message of equality, brotherhood and humanity given by Dr Ambedkar is the message of welfare of the world.

Governor Koshyari said among all the freedom fighters including Mahatma Gandhi and others, Dr Ambedkar’s name is shining like the Sun. Many people contributed for writing the Constitution, but Dr Ambedkar gave a

type of “sanjivani” (rejuvenator) to those who are poor, Dalits and ignored for hundreds of years, he said.

THE Congress paid tributes to B R Ambedkar on his death anniversary, with party chief Mallikarjun Kharge saying that it’s a time to reaffirm the ideals of liberty, equality, fraternity and justice which he truly championed. The Congress, from its official Twitter handle, remembered architect of Constitution. “Baba Saheb devoted his life to liberating the socially backward from illiteracy & ignorance & paved the way for a society built through liberty, equality, and fraternity,” the party said.