With the party marking its Foundation Day today, UP CM Yogi Adityanath said similar efforts would also be undertaken at sites linked to other icons like Sant Ravidas and Maharishi Valmiki

With the BJP in Uttar Pradesh stepping up its outreach to Dalit communities ahead of the 2027 Assembly polls, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath Monday announced that the government will install protective “chattra (umbrellas)” over all statues of Dr B R Ambedkar across the state.

The announcement is part of a broader political push by the ruling party to underline its emphasis on icons associated with Dalit assertion and social justice as it rolls out a series of programmes starting from April 6 to Ambedkar Jayanti on April 14.

“Sarkar ne taya kiya hai, pradesh bhar mein jahan kahin bhi Samvidhan ke shilpi Baba Saheb Bhim Rao Ambedkar ki pratima hongi, wahan par pratima ke upar chattra lagane ka karya kiya jayega (The government has decided that wherever there are statues of the architect of the Constitution, Dr B R Ambedkar, across the state, protective umbrellas will be installed over them),” the CM said while addressing party workers on BJP’s ‘Foundation Day’ in Gorakhpur. He also hoisted the party flag at the Gorakhnath Temple.

The CM added that the move would go beyond symbolic protection to include physical upgrades: “The government will take up construction of boundary walls and beautification of parks where these statues are installed.”

Addressing workers, he framed it as a collective responsibility: “It is our responsibility to honour the architect of the Constitution.”

Significantly, the outreach is being broadened beyond Ambedkar alone, with party leaders saying the initiatives are aimed at reinforcing BJP’s narrative of respecting “mahapurush” across communities.

The Chief Minister said efforts would also be undertaken at sites linked to other icons: “Jahan kahin Ravidas ki pratima hongi, wahan bhi sundarikaran hoga, aur Valmiki ji ki pratimaon ke sthal par bhi yahi karya kiya jayega. (Beautification work will also be carried out at sites where statues of Sant Ravidas and Maharishi Valmiki are located).”

The Chief Minister also called for a state-wide cleanliness drive on April 13 at sites associated with Ambedkar, followed by “pushpanjali” programmes on April 14. “Dirt leads to disease, and political pollution can make a nation unwell,” he said.

Other events

At the organisational level, the BJP has planned a grass-roots campaign of sorts. The party is undertaking booth-level mobilisation, rallies, and door-to-door campaigns, asking workers to carry party literature and raise slogans invoking figures such as Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee, Deen Dayal Upadhyaya and Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

“Jitna bada sangathan hoga, utni badi chunautiyan bhi hongi… BJP bina ruke, bina jhuke, aage badh rahi hai (The bigger the organisation, the greater the challenges… the BJP continues to move forward without stopping or bowing),” Adityanath said.

Detailing the party’s foundation day programmes, Adityanath said a three-day abhiyaan would be organised across the state, with workers at the mahanagar, mandal and booth levels taking out foot marches and rallies. “Workers should reach out to people morning and evening to spread the party’s message,” he said.

He asked the cadre to raise slogans such as “BJP zindabad”, “Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee, Deen Dayal Upadhyaya, Atal Bihari Vajpayee amar rahen” and “Narendra Modi zindabad” during these marches, while ensuring party literature is distributed door-to-door as part of the outreach.