New Delhi, April 14: The Congress today launched a website exclusively on B.R. Ambedkar in its continuing battle with the RSS-BJP for his political legacy.

The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), the original claimants to the Dalit icon's legacy, attacked the hypocrisy of both the national parties.

The Congress ramped up its Ambedkar narrative after the BJP came up with the plan of cornering Dalit votes by camouflaging the deeply problematic RSS aversion to Ambedkar's philosophy. The Congress is relying on its history of accommodation that ensured Ambedkar's close association with stalwarts of the freedom movement.

On Ambedkar's birth anniversary today, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi tweeted: "May we never cease to strive for the ideals Babasaheb dedicated his life to. Congress is proud to launch today a platform designed to deepen our understanding of Babasaheb's thought."

Describing Ambedkar, the architect of the Constitution, as one of the greatest icons of modern India, party president Sonia Gandhi said: "His life is a guiding light to all Indians who want to live together, united and under the shade of constitutional laws and ethos."

The website - www.questforequity.org - contains rare photographs of Ambedkar with Congress stalwarts, his collected works, letters, articles, documents, a list of legislation related to the welfare of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and data on literacy, employment, land-holding and other economic parameters related to Dalits. It also has reports on principles of human rights, discrimination and atrocities against Dalits.

The Congress's Scheduled Caste department chief, K. Raju, said: "The website also contains over 200 papers and reports of diverse scholars and organisations working on issues of inequality, discrimination, poverty, etc. This website aims to be the definitive platform for data, research and legislation on issues related to SCs and STs, and eventually the minority communities. It hopes to take Ambedkar's spirit forward by encouraging a critical analysis of contemporary socio-economic and political issues to deepen India's social justice paradigm."

With quotes like "justice is another name of liberty, equality and fraternity" prominently displayed on the website, the Congress intends to create a counter-narrative to the uniformity discourse accentuated by anti-Romeo and cow-protection squads.

Pointing to inclusive cohesiveness and guarantee for equality, Sonia said in her message: "The path of social democracy shown by Babasaheb shall forever remain relevant."

Another Ambedkar quote that finds pride of place on the website is: "There should be varied and free points of contact with other modes of association. In other words there should be social endosmosis. This is fraternity, which is only another name for democracy. Democracy is not merely a form of Government. It is primarily a mode of associated living, of conjoint communicated experience. It is essentially an attitude of respect and reverence towards fellowmen."

Dalit organisations and the BSP, however, view the desperation of both the Congress and the BJP as brazen opportunism.

Ambedkar's Caravan, a platform run by BSP sympathisers, articulated this view through several tweets today. Although there was a mention of the Congress, the attack was primarily on the RSS and the BJP. All the messages were re-tweeted by the BSP.

A tweet said: "The BJP-RSS-Congress labelled Ambedkar as anti-national and traitor and now they are celebrating his jayanti (anniversary) for votes. You think Dalits are fools and they will accept Hindutva propaganda. Forget it, we have been awakened by Babasaheb. You deny us our food, our culture, our history. Throughout the year, you talk against reservation, which is for equality, and then celebrate Ambedkar jayanti."

The Ambedkar Caravan mentioned "denial of food" in reference to the beef controversy.

In other tweets that indicate how antithetical BJP's politics was to Ambedkar's views, the Ambedkar Caravan recalled his public vow on October 14, 1956, at Nagpur's Diksha Bhumi: "I shall not believe in Gauri-Ganesh, Bramha-Vishnu-Mahesh and other gods and goddesses of Hindu religion, nor shall I worship them. Will not perform any ritual performed by Brahmins."

On its Ambedkar website, the Congress pointed out that Jawaharlal Nehru, Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Vallabbhai Patel, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Sarojini Naidu and other freedom fighters were crafting the "idea of India and Indian-ness" at the Karachi session of the All India Congress Committee in 1931 at a time other political and cultural organisations, a perceived reference to the Muslim League and the RSS, were sowing the seeds of partition.

It said: "Presided over by Sardar Patel and spearheaded by Nehru, the Congress unanimously resolved to institutionalise socio-economic equality for all, irrespective of their religion, caste, gender and birth, abolition of untouchability, religious tolerance and secularism, safeguarding minority rights, the right to form associations, freedom of expression of thought, universal adult franchise, inclusive industrial development and socialism. Each of these norms and principles are deeply enshrined in the Indian Constitution, which defines who we are as a people."

The website added: "Ambedkar saw his own principles mirrored in the Congress resolution."

It quoted Ambedkar: "It is because of the discipline of the Congress Party that the Drafting Committee was able to pilot the Constitution in the Assembly with the sure knowledge as to the fate of each article and each amendment."