BSP, BJP in 'painting' war? Saffron Ambedkar statue goes blue

Political parties trying to appropriate merely the legacies of leaders such as Subhash Chandra Bose, Vallabhbhai Patel and B.R. Ambedkar seems to be passé. Now, it seems even the colour of monuments matter on the political battlefield.

A day after the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh installed a saffron-painted statue of Ambedkar in a village in Badaun after an earlier one had been vandalised, Himendra Gautam, a BSP leader, on Tuesday painted it blue.

The move of the Yogi Adityanath government to install a 'saffron' Ambedkar statue was criticised by the opposition and dalit groups in UP as another attempt by the BJP at trying to 'Hinduise' Ambedkar.

In the last week of March, the Adityanath government had passed an official order seeking to add the middle name 'Ramji' to Ambedkar's full name in all official correspondence; Ramji was the name of Ambedkar's father. BJP supporters claimed that adding the father's name was a common practice in Maharashtra and noted Ambedkar had signed his name with Ramji included in a schedule of the Constitution.

Since coming to power, Adityanath has been criticised for his penchant for adopting saffron hues for public infrastructure. This has included using saffron paint for the chief minister's office, police stations and even public buses.

The move to install a saffron Ambedkar statue comes as the BJP appears to be going through a crisis in credibility with the dalit community. Last week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared no government had honoured Ambedkar as much as his administration has done.

The BJP has announced grand plans to celebrate Ambedkar's birth anniversary on April 14 to overshadow similar celebrations by the BSP and SP.

Trying to use Ambedkar's legacy is a major strategy for both the BJP and BSP in the run-up to the next general elections. So, the 'saffron versus blue' paint wars may just be getting started.