Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks after laying the foundation stone of the Ambedkar Memorial in New Delhi. The memorial would mainly house his relics and cover all important aspects of his life and work.

Highlights of his speech:
 

"I am the first Prime Minister who has come to speak here. It is a matter of great fortune for me.

I have got an opportunity to fulfil Baba Saheb's dream. He left us in 1956. Today, after 60 years, a memorial is being set up. Sixty years have passed! I don't know how we can explain this, but we have had to wait for 60 years for this. Perhaps this was written in my fate. Perhaps I had blessings of Baba Saheb on me.

I want to take a moment to remember Vajpayeeji. He is the one who took this decision, but those who came after him did not have Ambedkar in their hearts. That's why even after acquiring the place, the work for the memorial did not start.


But today, I want to announce that I will inaugurate it on 14th April, 2018. And I assure you it will be spectacular. For the world, it will be an iconic building. For us it will be an inspiring building.


Sometimes we do great injustice to Baba Saheb. To call him the messiah only of the Dalits is a great injustice to him. Let us not limit him to that. He was the one who raised his voice against any injustice.


We should see him as 'Vishwa Manav' and not limit him to our borders. The way the world sees Martin Luther King, Baba Saheb should be seen like that. He was the voice of the downtrodden.


Baba Saheb was the guardian of human values. In the pages of history I see two people as really special - Sardar Patel and Baba Saheb Ambedkar.
India lay divided in princely states. Even the English wanted India to be split. But Sardar Patel through his will, skill and diplmacy united India.
While there was political divide on one side, there was social divide on another.


There has always been efforts to fix the problems in Indian society. But it was Baba Saheb who succeeded. Sardar Patel united India politically, Baba Saheb united India socially.


The question arises why did he have to resign? History in our country has often been diluted and diverted to serve vested interests.


When the Hindu Code Bills was being introduced, Baba Saheb fought for the rights of women. But the government of the time was not progressive enough. And so Baba Saheb left the government.


But eventually all that he said, had to be accepted by the subsequent governments. But by then many years had passed."