The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) repeatedly positions itself as the sole guardian of Hindu society, culture and dharma. It mobilizes voters on the plank of protecting Hindu identity, temples and traditions. Yet the same party has aggressively started glorifying Dr. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar, who was one of the most powerful and consistent critics of Hinduism and the caste system it upheld.
Specific Instances Where Ambedkar Bashed Hinduism
B R Ambedkar’s writings and actions contain direct, uncompromising attacks on core elements of Hinduism:
- In his seminal work Annihilation of Caste (1936), he wrote that “Hindu Society as such does not exist. It is only a collection of castes.” and described Hinduism as a religion that sanctifies inequality: “The Hindu civilisation is a diabolical contrivance to enslave the lower classes.”
- He publicly burned copies of the Manusmriti on 25 December 1927 in Mahad. He was of the opinion that “There is no sanction for morality in religion if the Shastras are to be the basis of morality.”
- Ambedkar famously declared at his conversion to Buddhism in Nagpur on 14 October 1956: “I renounce Hinduism which is harmful for humanity and impedes the advancement and development of humanity.” He urged millions of Dalits to leave Hinduism, stating it had no place for equality or justice.
- He criticised the Vedas, Puranas and Shastras as tools of Brahminical domination and rejected the doctrine of karma and rebirth as mechanisms to keep lower castes submissive in various speeches.
- In Riddles in Hinduism, he exposed what he saw as contradictions and immoralities in Hindu mythology and called for a complete rejection of Hindu religion to achieve true social equality.
- Ambedkar famously coined 22 vows announcing no faith in Vinshu, Maheshwar, Ram, Krishna, Gauri, and Ganapati. Wikipedia
Ambedkar also founded the Bahishkrit Hitakarini Sabha and the Independent Labour Party, consistently arguing that Hinduism was structurally incapable of reform and that Dalits must reject it to gain dignity.
BJP’s Sudden “Worship” of Ambedkar
Despite Ambedkar’s lifelong critique of Hinduism, the BJP has turned him into a major political symbol in recent years:
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi and senior BJP leaders regularly pay elaborate tributes at Ambedkar’s statues and describe him as a “national icon” and “great son of India.” ANI BJP website
- The party has built massive Ambedkar memorials, declared his birth anniversary a major national event, and uses his name in election campaigns across Dalit and OBC belts. Indian Express Deccan Herald
- In states like Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, BJP governments have installed giant Ambedkar statues and organised grand Ambedkar Jayanti celebrations to project themselves as champions of social justice. TOI
Critics have called this a blatant attempt at “appropriation of a Bahujan icon” for electoral gains. The same party that claims to defend Hindu dharma is now honoring a man who spent his life exposing what he saw as Hinduism’s oppressive core.
Why This Is a Gem
This is classic BJP hypocrisy:
- The party champions “Hindu society” and attacks anyone who critiques Hinduism as “anti-Hindu” or “anti-national.” News 18 New Indian Express The Economic Times
- Yet BJP selectively glorifies B R Ambedkar whose entire body of work was a direct assault on Hinduism, purely to harvest Dalit and Bahujan votes.
- It shows that BJP’s commitment to Hindu identity is flexible and vote-driven: BJP can ignore, downplay or even celebrate critics of Hinduism when political arithmetic demands it.
The Real Impact
- It confuses and divides Bahujan communities who once saw Ambedkar as their liberator from caste oppression.
- It erodes the credibility of the BJP’s “protector of Hinduism” narrative among its core supporters.
- It reduces one of India’s greatest social reformers to a political prop, stripping away the uncomfortable truths Ambedkar spoke about caste and religion.
- Most importantly, it proves that for the BJP, ideology is secondary to power. Even if that means worshiping a man who fiercely opposed the very religious order the party claims to safeguard.
Gems of BJP documents such cases to create a permanent, evidence-based public record. Our goal is not to oppose any political party, but to highlight instances where policies, decisions, or actions appear to undermine fairness, due process, equal protection, and institutional integrity for Indian citizens.
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