A recent order of the Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh, which changes the name of dalit icon and Constitution architect Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar, has whipped up political passion in the state. The government order stipulates that henceforth, in all the government records, Ambedkar's name would be written as Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar, adding the middle name of 'Ramji'.
The government came out with this order on Wednesday; the government said in the Eight Schedule of the Indian Constitution, Ambedkar’s name is written as Dr Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar. Taking cognisance of this, the state government decided to make this amendment in all government records, which will henceforth have the name as Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar.
In fact, UP Governor Ram Naik was the first person who had drawn the attention of the state government to this issue and had also written to the prime minister in this connection.
So following the governor’s suggestion, the state government decided to change the name of Ambedkar. With this order to be implemented from April 1, all the government offices will have his photo with the changed name.
However, this change has not gone down well with the opposition parties in the state. Assailing the Adityanath government’s move, the Samajwadi Party said, “Ramji has been added by the BJP government to show that the government is pro-dalit. It is nothing but a ploy to mould public opinion as the polls are coming.”
Reacting swiftly to the allegations of the opposition parties, UP government spokesperson and minister Siddarth Nath Singh said, “ Why is there so much hue and cry if the government is taking the correct name of Dr Ambedkar? There is no political motive behind this.”
He said, “The governor had advised same thing to the previous Akhilesh Yadav government but Akhilesh Yadav did not follow the advice of the governor.”
Referring to the government's order, Naik said that Ambedkar's signature showed his full name and that Hindi-speaking states were not writing his correct name.
BJP Minister Swami Prasad Maurya, who was earlier with Mayawati's BSP, also defended the decision of the Adityanath government and said, “There is no ulterior motive and politics behind the change of the name.”