In a major announcement ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections in Delhi, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Chief and former Chief Minister of Delhi Arvind Kejriwal introduced the Dr Ambedkar Samman Scholarship, stated MoneyControl. The scheme aims to provide financial support for higher education to students from the Dalit community.
Speaking at the launch, Kejriwal emphasised that the scholarship was a response to remarks made by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, which he described as "disrespectful" to Dr BR Ambedkar, the architect of the Indian Constitution.
"...I want to ensure that no person from the Dalit community is deprived of higher education due to lack of funds. For this, I am announcing the Dr Ambedkar Scholarship," Kejriwal stated.
"Now any student from the Dalit community who wants to study in top universities across the world, the Delhi government will bear their expenses after the admission of the students. This scholarship will also be applicable to government employees from the Dalit community... By announcing the Dr Ambedkar Scholarship, we are giving an answer to BJP and Union Home Minister Amit Shah who disrespected Dr BR Ambedkar."
The announcement comes amidst controversy over Amit Shah's comments in the Rajya Sabha during a discussion on the Constitution’s 75th anniversary. Shah had criticised the Congress for "invoking Ambedkar’s name as a fashionable trend," adding, "If they had taken the name of God so many times instead of Ambedkar, they would have got heaven for seven lives."
Earlier in the day, Kejriwal had posted on X, teasing a major announcement to honour Ambedkar. “Amit Shah Ji and BJP insulted and mocked Baba Saheb in Parliament. In response, today I am going to make a big announcement in honor of Baba Saheb,” he wrote.
The scholarship announcement follows another welfare measure unveiled by Kejriwal, the Sanjeevani Yojana, which promises free healthcare for Delhi residents aged 60 and above. Both schemes will come into effect if the AAP retains power in the 2025 elections.
