Wankhede pays tribute at Ambedkar memorial; Malik says impact of his fight


PTI | Mumbai | Updated: 06-12-2021 15:04 IST | Created: 06-12-2021 14:55 IST
Wankhede  pays tribute at Ambedkar memorial; Malik says impact of his fight
NCB Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede (Photo/ANI) Image Credit: ANI
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The Narcotics Control Bureau's (NCB) Mumbai zonal director Sameer Wankhede, who was accused of forging his caste certificate by Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik, visited the memorial of Dr B R Ambedkar here on Monday on the latter's death anniversary.

Wankhede later told reporters he is inspired by Ambedkar in his ''fight for truth'' and expressed confidence of winning it, while Malik, without naming the NCB officer, implied it is the impact of the fight he put up that “some people” have started coming to the 'Chaityabhoomi', the place where the architect of the Indian Constitution was cremated.

The NCB officer in October this year led a raid on a cruise ship and drugs were claimed to have been seized onboard. Actor Shah Rukh Khan's son Aryan Khan and some other people are accused in the cruise drugs case.

After the raid, Malik had levelled a string of allegations against Wankhede, including that the NCB official was a Muslim by birth and produced a bogus certificate to get the government job. He had claimed Wankhede did not belong to a Scheduled Caste.

Wankhede had denied the allegations levelled against him.

On Monday, Wankhede paid tributes to Ambedkar, the architect of the Indian Constitution and social reformer, at his memorial 'Chaityabhoomi' in Dadar area here.

The NCB officer later told reporters, “Babasaheb (Ambedkar) is our inspiration. Today's day will encourage us in our on-going 'sangharsh' (fight). I have come here (at Chaityabhoomi) on his death anniversary…his ideology has a big influence on me. He is the only inspiration.'' ''And (in) our fight which is going on, he is the only inspiration. The fight is for truth…we will definitely win,” Wankhede said, without specifying details of the fight he referred to.

When asked about the NCB officer's visit to Chaityabhoomi, Malik told a TV channel that everyone has the right to pay respect to Babasaheb Ambedkar. ''If someone believes that only people of a particular community can pay respect to him (Ambedkar), then it is a wrong assumption. I come here every year. Now, some people have started coming here. It is good,” he said.

Referring to the movie ''Jai Bhim'', released last month on an online platform, the minister said the film depicts injustice meted to members of a community and their struggle against it.

''I think the fight I have put up, its 'Jai Bhim' impact has started. Hence, people are coming to pay respects,” he said, without naming anyone.

To a question by the reporter on whether he had seen Wankhede pay respects at the Chaityabhoomi earlier, Malik said, ''I cannot talk about it. But, it is true he was offering namaz (prayer) with me.'' Meanwhile, workers of a little-known organisation Bhimshakti Republican Sena objected to Wankhede's visit to the Chaityabhoomi and raised slogans against him.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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