Top Dalit outfit of UP - Ambedkar Mahasabha is caught in doldrums over its decision to honour Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath with the first `Dalit Mitra Award’ with members openly raising the flag of revolt maintaining that it was against the tenets of the Mahasabha. The Dalit Mitra Award would be conferred on the Chief Minister on April 14 - the birth anniversary of Dr B R Ambedkar – at a function to be held at the Mahasabha office in lucknow. Two founder members of Mahasabha - retired IPS officer SR Darapuri and retired IAS officer Harish Chandra have threatened to convene an AGM if the Mahasabha did not rescind its order. “The way this decision (to confer Dalit Mitra Award to CM) was taken indicates that Mahasabha president lalji Prasad Nirmal is deepky influenced by the BJP,” Chandra told this reporter on Friday. “How can one think of conferring the Award to the CM when atrocities on Dalits are on the rise. This is really shameful to ever think about it,” he said. Attacking the Mahasabha president, Harish Chandra said that the outfit was formed to spread the ideas and principles of Dr Ambedkar and not to serve personal interests of anyone. Darapuri said, “We will request Yogi Adityanath himself to decline the award.” He said an Annual General Meeting (AGM) should be convened to take disciplinary action against the Mahasabha chief, saying that he had exceeded his brief by announcing an award to the CM. “Dalits are angry because of atrocities inflicted on them during Yogi’s rule. Constituting an award and conferring it on Yogi will amount to rubbing salt onto their wounds,” Darapuri said. Dr B R Ambedkar’ grandson Prakash Ambedkar too said that atrocities on Dalits have increased in the state. “If the Award has to be awarded at all, it should be given to deserving people who have worked for Dalit rights,” he said in a statement. However, Ambedkar Mahasabha president lalji Prasad Nirmal defended his act saying that there was nothing wrong in giving the prestigious award to the CM. “Yogiji is doing a lot of work for the uplift of the Dalits and other communities. Some people are unnecessarily trying to play politics but it would not deter us from our move,” he said while confirming that he had also spoken to Yogi Adityanath about conferring the award. Nirmal said, “Rumours are being spread that I am seeking a berth in UP legislative Council. I am a committed member of the Mahasabha which runs on donations and with the blessings of Dalits.” Founded in lucknow in 1998, Ambedkar Mahasaba has slowly gained importance over the years with politicians making a bee line to its office on Vidhan Sabha Marg, opposite to the Vidhan Bhawan. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and several top notch leaders have visited the Mahasabha permises in recent past.