Fake gau rakshaks must be dealt with: Ramdas Athawale
The Republican Party of India(A) was a key ally of the Congress-NCP for 18 years but in 2013, party chief Ramdas Athawale decided to throw in his lot with the BJP-led NDA. The switchover helped him become a Rajya Sabha member and later Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Special Assistance. Known as one of the most accessible and vocal ministers of the Modi Cabinet, Athawale spoke to Kanchan Srivastava on a range of issues. Excerpts:
What are the three biggest achievements of the Modi government in the past three years?
Handing over of Indu Mills land in Mumbai, worth Rs 3,600 crore, for the grand memorial of Babasaheb Ambedkar is the biggest achievement of our government so far. The Rs 500-crore memorial will have a 350-foot tall statue of Ambedkar, which will be taller than the Statue of Liberty (in the US). The grand celebration of the 125th birth anniversary of Dr Ambedkar, with several welfare schemes, and declaring November 26 (Ambedkar’s birth anniversary) as ‘Constitution Day’ are two other big achievements. Our government and the ministry has taken several measures such as the BHIM app to promote e-transaction, a Rs 125 coin and a stamp in Dr …read more
