The remarks come as a Commission of Inquiry constituted by the Social Justice Ministry is in the middle of examining if historically Scheduled Caste people who have converted to Islam or Christianity should be included in the SC list.
| Photo Credit: X/@PTI_News

Commemorating B.R. Ambedkar’s 134th birth anniversary in New Delhi, Union Social Justice Minister Virendra Kumar on Monday (April 14, 2025) said the country must never forget that the principal architect of the Indian Constitution was a “staunch nationalist” first, referring to his refusal to accept Christianity or Islam as he sought an emancipatory faith for the Scheduled Castes of India.

Addressing the event at the Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, Mr. Kumar spoke of how Ambedkar refused offers from Christian missionaries and Muslim leaders alike, and embraced Buddhism instead, when he began his search for a new religion.

“His contribution was so monumental. Can you imagine what our country would have been like had he accepted Christianity or Islam? There is no bigger nationalist than Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar. Even after all the struggles, oppression, and discrimination that he faced throughout his life, he was at his core a staunch nationalist,” Mr. Kumar said.

The remarks come as a Commission of Inquiry constituted by the Social Justice Ministry is in the middle of examining if historically Scheduled Caste people who have converted to Islam or Christianity should be included in the SC list.

The Minister went on to cite Veer Savarkar’s thoughts on Ambedkar’s embrace of Buddhism. “He [Veer Savarkar] had spoken of how his (Ambedkar’s) acceptance of Buddhism meant that he was now properly in the Hindu fold,” Mr. Kumar said.

During his address, the Social Justice Minister spoke of how “people of the General Category” had also rallied behind Ambedkar.

“There has been a long line of people who have come from time to time to break the vicious cycle of oppression faced by the people of this country — like Ramanuj, Chaitanya Maharaj, (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh founder) Dr. K.B. Hedgewar, Ram Manohar Lohiya, Deen Dayal Upadhyay, but among them, Dr. Ambedkar’s star shone the brightest,” Mr. Kumar said.

The Minister addressed an event hosted by the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) to celebrate Ambedkar’s birth anniversary and the journey of 75 years of the Constitution in India.

NCSC Chairperson Kishor Makwana said the event had been conceived after noting that, in the past, Ambedkar’s birth anniversary had been marked with merely a “pushpanjali” (offering of flowers). Mr. Kumar lauded the effort in his address.

Just as the event was about to begin on Monday evening, the auditorium at Bharat Mandapam echoed with chants of “Jai Bhim”, which came after the Master of Ceremonies ended the singing of the National Anthem with salutations of “Bharat Mata ki Jai” and “Vande Mataram”.

During his address, the Social Justice Minister also took a dig at the Opposition for allegedly appropriating Ambedkar’s legacy and referencing him merely as a “Dalit leader”. “He is no less than a God for us and our people,” Mr. Kumar said, adding that those who talked about the Constitution today had not done the bare minimum to honour the places across India that had left a major impact on Ambedkar’s life.

“These places — the place he was born, the place he took deeksha (converted to Buddhism), the place he spent his last moments — are as sacred as ‘Panchteerth’ (five sacred sites) for our people. We should be visiting these places as a ‘Panchteerth’ and take our families and future generations there too, so that they do not forget. It is not just about laying bricks at these spots — these are places which are true symbols of inspiration for us and our people,” Mr. Kumar said.