Dikshabhoomi rightfully belongs to Buddhist Mahasabha, declares BSI !!!

Maharashtra: Nagpur’s Dikshabhoomi, a site of immense significance for the Buddhist community, was visited by Dr. Bhimrao Yashwant Ambedkar, the National Working President of the Bharatiya Buddhist Mahasabha (Buddhist Society of India) and grandson of Babasaheb Ambedkar, on Friday. During his visit, he inspected the ongoing underground parking works in the area.

Ownership and management controversy

Dr. Yashwant Ambedkar asserted that Dikshabhoomi belongs to the Bharatiya Buddhist Mahasabha, not the memorial committee. According to him, the committee was only responsible for constructing the monument, which is now complete. He demanded that the committee vacate the Dikshabhoomi and called for an immediate investigation by the Collector and NIT officials to validate the ownership claim of the Indian Buddhist Mahasabha.

Call for committee dissolution

At a press conference, Dr. Yashwant announced that he would seek the dissolution of the memorial committee, citing its failure to manage Dikshabhoomi effectively. He mentioned that the land was originally given to the Bharat Buddhist Mahasabha by the then Chief Minister Yashwantrao Chavan. Dr. Yashwant criticized the committee for acting like owners and losing public confidence.

Allegations of conspiracy

Dr. Yaswant accused the memorial committee of conspiring with RSS-following Buddhist communities to diminish the importance of Dikshabhoomi. He alleged that the committee’s plan to construct a parking facility on the site was part of a broader scheme to obstruct the influx of 25 to 50 lakh Buddhists on Dhamma Chakra Parivartan Day.

Demands and warnings

Dr. Yashwant demanded the immediate withdrawal of police cases against protesters from the July 1 demonstration at Dikshabhoomi, stating that the protest was spontaneous. He also called for the restoration of the excavated area within 15 days, warning of large-scale agitation if the site is not leveled promptly.

Legal and public action

The land’s transfer to the Charity Commissionerate in favor of the memorial committee is being contested by Dr. Yashwant, who pledged to fight for its return to the Mahasabha using legal and documentary evidence. He emphasized the need for the Ambedkar community to be taken into confidence and for more development works to be initiated at Dikshabhoomi.

Upcoming legal actions

Dr. Yashwant announced plans to file a complaint against the memorial committee within the next four to five days. He accused the committee of siding with politically connected individuals and failing to represent the interests of the Ambedkar community. The press conference saw participation from prominent figures, Bhimrao Phuse, Padmakar Ganveer, and Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi’s Rahul Dahikar.

Samata Sainik Dal AP President, Bethala Sudarshan, has expressed his full solidarity for the restoration of Dikshabhoomi.