Jangala (Bijapur): Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday that BR Ambedkar had made provisions in the Constitution for the protection of the rights of backward classes as he appealed to the people not to join the Naxals for securing their rights.

Modi asked the parents of those who had joined Naxalism not to hand over their children’s lives to the leaders who were keeping themselves safe while letting the locals die.

The PM asserted that awakening among poor and backward sections about their rights and aspirations was due to Ambedkar and also attributed his own success to the Dalit icon and framer of the Constitution.

Paying tributes to Ambedkar on his 127th birth anniversary here in Chhattisgarh, Modi said the Dalit icon was highly educated and could have easily led a lavish life in any developed country. “But he studied outside, came back to India and dedicated his life to welfare and uplift of Dalits. The aspirations and hope of people are associated with Ambedkar’s name,” he said.

“Son of a poor mother like me hails from a very backward section of the society and could become PM  due to Babasaheb Ambedkar,” he said. After launching of the first phase of Ayushman Bharat scheme, the PM said his government was focusing on a new approach for the development of the poor. “The 115 backward districts will be given priority in the Ayushman Bharat scheme,” Modi said.