Amaravati, April 14 : Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu said on Tuesday that the greatest tribute that can be offered to Dr B.R. Ambedkar is to uphold democratic values.

The Chief Minister, through a social media post, offered tributes to the architect of the Indian Constitution, social reformer, and Bharat Ratna, Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, on the occasion of his 135th birth anniversary

â??Dr. Ambedkar stands as an exemplary figure; despite enduring caste discrimination and the scourge of untouchability, he pursued higher education and rose to a stature of such eminence that the entire nation takes pride in him. If our country stands today as one of the world's strongest democracies, it is solely due to the Constitution he bestowed upon us,â?? said the Chief Minister.

â??By ensuring equal opportunities and rights, he provided constitutional protection to every single citizen. Our collective goal must be the realization of Dr. Ambedkar's ideals. The greatest tribute we can offer to this visionary leader is to uphold democratic values and conduct ourselves as responsible citizens,â?? he added.

Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan also paid tributes to Ambedkar. â??Remembering the visionary leader, scholar, and Bharat Ratna Baba Saheb Ambedkar, the chief architect and Chairman of the Drafting Committee of the Indian Constitution, the first Law Minister of independent India, on his birth anniversary. His relentless fight for social justice, equality, and empowerment continues to guide us,â?? posted Pawan Kalyan.

Meanwhile, Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) President K.T. Rama Rao also paid tributes to Ambedkar.

The former minister said that Ambedkar was a noble soul who toiled day and night for the upliftment of the marginalised sections of society.

â??Ambedkar was a universal humanist who fought on behalf of the oppressed people. He was a visionary of an egalitarian society who secured rights for people from all walks of life. Ambedkar was the towering intellect who designed the Constitution of India,â?? KTR said in a post on â??Xâ??.

He stated that Ambedkar was the visionary who ensured the fulfilment of the Telangana people's aspiration for a separate state through Article 3.

KTR claimed that the nine-and-a-half-year tenure of the BRS government has been guided by the inspiration of Babasaheb Ambedkar.

â??To ensure that Ambedkar's teachings, ideals, and values are passed on to future generations, the KCR government has erected a 125-ft statue of Ambedkar in the very heart of Hyderabad. The government bestowed the highest honor upon him by naming the Telangana State Secretariat after Ambedkar. On the occasion of the birth anniversary of Bharat Ratna Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, we pay our humble and profound tributes to this towering figure,â?? KTR added.

/IANS