Mumbai, Apr 14 (IANS): People from all walks of life paid rich tributes to Bharat Ratna Dr B. R. Ambedkar - the Chief Architect of the Indian Constitution - marking his 132nd birth anniversary here on Friday.
Leading the people Governor Ramesh Bais, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis and other ministers went to Chaityabhoomi in Dadar to offer floral respects to the eminent jurist, economist, social reformer and freedom-fighter.
Top leaders of various major parties, including Congress state President Nana Patole, Balasaheb Thorat and Ashok Chavan, Nationalist Congress Party President Sharad Pawar, state chief Jayant Patil, Leader of Opposition (Assembly) Ajit Pawar, Supriya Sule, Shiv Sena (UBT)'s Aditya Thackeray, Leader of Opposition (Council) Ambadas Danve, Sanjay Raut, Arvind Sawant and others paid tributes to Dr Ambedkar.
Reports of celebrations have come in from all over Maharashtra, major cities, towns, districts and upto block levels with commoners, men, women, school and college students, Dalits and others remembering Dr Ambedkar, revered as the Champion of the Downtrodden Masses.
A series of social-cultural events have been organised throughout the day to commemorate Dr Ambedkar's life, teachings and contributions, by various private, government or semi-government institutions, NGOs and organisations working towards the cause of the downtrodden.
Significant places directly linked with Dr Ambedkar - Mumbai's famed 'Rajgruha' , his residential memorial in Dadar east, the south Mumbai's Elphinstone High School and Elphinstone College where he was educated, and his final resting place of Chaityabhoomi in Dadar west, witnessed massive crowds of his excited followers trooping in here from all over the state.
Other importance sites connected with Dr Ambedkar, like Nagpur's Deekshabhoomi where he embraced Buddhism, Raigad where he carried out the Mahad Satyagraha, and his tiny ancestral village of Ambadawe in Ratnagiri, were specially decorated with flowers, colourful rangolis and lights to mark the occasion, as thousands turned up to pay homage to his memory.