Wankhede pays tributes to Ambedkar

The Narcotics Control Bureau’s 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.

Mr. Wankhede later told reporters that he is inspired by Dr. Ambedkar in his ‘fight for truth’ and expressed confidence of winning it.

On the other hand, Mr. Malik, without naming the NCB officer, implied it is the impact of the fight he put up that ‘some people’ have started coming to Chaityabhoomi, the place where the architect of the Indian Constitution was cremated.

Mr. Wankhede, had in October, 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 case. Following this, Mr. Malik had levelled several allegations against Mr. Wankhede, including that the NCB officer was a Muslim by birth and produced a bogus certificate to get the Government job. He had claimed that Mr. Wankhede did not belong to a Scheduled Caste. Mr. Wankhede had denied all allegations.

Asked about the NCB officer’s visit, Mr. Malik told a TV channel that everyone has the right to pay respects to Babasaheb. ‘If someone believes that only people of a particular community can pay respect to him, then it is a wrong assumption. I come here every year. Now, some people have started coming here,’ he said.

Referring to the movie Jai Bhim, 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 impact has started. Hence, people are coming to pay respects,’ he said, without naming anyone.

To a question on whether he had seen Mr. Wankhede pay respects at the Chaityabhoomi earlier, Mr. Malik said, ‘I cannot talk about it. But, it is true he was offering namaz with me.’

Meanwhile, workers of Bhimshakti Republican Sena objected to Mr. Wankhede’s visit to the Chaityabhoomi and raised slogans against him.