Lockdown: Ambedkar's birthplace in Mhow wears deserted look

Mhow, Apr 14 () The birthplace of Dalit icon Dr B RAmbedkar here in Madhya Pradesh wore a deserted look on his129th birth anniversary on Tuesday, in view of the lockdownenforced to contain the spread of coronavirus.

Only a few local administration officials wearingmasks went to the memorial in the morning and lit candles.Ambedkar's followers were not allowed to visit the site inorder to avoid crowding.

Ambedkar, the architect of the Indian Constitution,was born on this day in 1891 in Kali Paltan area of the Mhowtown, which is a major army base located in Indore district.

A grand memorial, after lot of obstructions, wasconstructed in his memory here in 2003-04.

On his birth anniversary on Tuesday, only a handful oflocal administration officials went to the memorial site andlit candles.

"No one is allowed to visit the premises as socialdistancing guidelines need to be followed during thecoronavirus crisis," one of the officials said.

A senior citizen from the area said had it been anormal time, top political leaders and public would havequeued up in the town to pay their respects to Ambedkar on hisbirth anniversary.

Mhow was rechristened as Dr Ambedkar Nagar in 2003. COR MASGK GK