Adityanath pays tribute to Ambedkar on death anniversary, takes veiled dig at Mohammad Ali Jauhar

LUCKNOW: (Dec 6) Remembering B R Ambedkar on his 69th birth anniversary, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday claimed the architect of the Indian Constitution once said that comments made by a person who is born in India, consumes its facilities, yet considers India's soil as unholy can never be in the interest of Indians.

The chief minister was apparently referring to Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar, a prominent figure of the Khilafat movement, who was buried in Jerusalem in 1931 according to his own wish.

Addressing a 'Mahaparinirvaan Diwas' (death anniversary) programme here, Adityanath said, "Babasaheb Ambedkar made us aware of the dangers of that time. Remember, a prominent leader, while serving as the president of the Congress in 1923, had refused to sing Vande Mataram. When his final moments arrived, he expressed his desire to die in Jerusalem.