Ambedkar kin denied entry into college

Bharipa Bahujan Mahasangh’s national president and Dalit leader Prakash Ambedkar (58) was denied entry into Siddharth College, Fort, on June 1, a college established by his grandfather Dr BR Ambedkar in 1946.

Two-time MP and a Siddharth College alumnus, Ambedkar was there to join as a trustee of the 67-year-old People’s Education Society (PES) established by Babasaheb for the education of poor Dalits. 

Siddarth College was the first institution established by PES.

When Ambedkar along with over a thousand of his supporters reached the college on Friday at 11 am, the college management did not allow him to enter the premises.

“We had come with the Charity commissioner’s order, but the management still didn’t allow us in, disobeying the order,” said Amol Suryawanshi, Ambedkar’s associate.

According to sources, when supporters failed to get Ambedkar inside, they called the Azad Maidan police who ended up booking a dozen of his supporters instead. After two hours of scuffling, the police managed to disperse the crowd, and Ambedkar had to return without gaining entry. “The supporters were there to welcome and wish Ambedkar on this occasion,” added Suryawanshi.

Ambedkar didn’t respond despite repeated calls, but the principal of Siddharth College, Dr Krushna Patil, said that his inclusion in the list of trustees was the cause of an illegal governing body being formed. “In 2010, two out of the 11 members of PES governing body, MS More and SP Gaikawad, had illegally expelled others and wrongfully added nine new members to the illegally formed body. Prakash was one of the nine new members added,” he said. 

He stated that if Ambedkar had been a legal member, the police would have helped him enter the college.

“The Charity commissioner has given his nod to our legal body whose chairman is now Advocate Pritam Kumar Shegaonkar who took over when earlier chairman KH Rangnath died in Oct 2011,” he added. 

Courtesy: DNA, June/2/12