Reacting to the controversy over including ‘Ramji’ in Dr BR Ambedkar’s name, Governor Ram Naik on Tuesday asserted that ‘Ram’ was indeed part of the name of the architect of the Indian Constitution and that was how he used to sign in the Constituent Assembly.
“Some people have expertise in raking up controversies in politics in Uttar Pradesh. Dr Ambedkar’s name was not being used properly and so I had suggested in this regard to the government,” said the Governor in Ballia. “A postal stamp released on the centenary of his birth anniversary also bore his full name as Dr Bhim Rao Ram Ambedkar... his signatures in the Constituent Assembly also had his full signatures,” Naik said. To a question on Samajwadi Party allegation that he had remained very vocal during the Akhilesh regimee but gone silent during Yogi regime, Naik said that he had been in the Raj Bhawan for over three years and had never said anything which had political overtones. “It is another thing if someone sees political colour in my statements. I have constitutional responsibilities and do not get involved in political allegations,” he said. The Governor, however, said he has always been putting his views on incidents taking place in the state. “I had given two suggestions to the then CM Akhilesh Yadav for holding foundation day of the state and organising a programme to mark 100 years of Bal Gangadhar Tilak’s famous slogan ‘Swaraj mera janmasiddh adhikar hai (Self-rule is my birthright)’. But, he did not accept but it was accpedted by Yogi Adityanath,” he added. Akhilesh Yadav had recently alleged that the Governor has been very vocal during his government but has remained mostly silent during Yogi’s regime.