Ambedkar as Jan Sangh chief?

"Babasaheb was considered by RSS chief MS Golwalkar to head Jan Sangh," BJP leader VK Malhotra claimed.

Senior BJP leader Vijay Kumar Malhotra on Friday claimed that Babasaheb Ambedkar was considered as a choice to head Jan Sangh after the death of Shyama Prasad Mukherjee by the senior leaders of RSS.

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"Though there were some ideological differences, Ambedkar's name was considered by Guruji (second Sarsanghchalak of RSS MS Golwalkar) and other senior leaders to head the Jan Sangh," BJP Deputy Leader in the Lok Sabha Vijay Kumar Malhotra said, speaking at a function organised to celebrate the 115th Jayanti of Ambedkar at the BJP headquarters in Delhi.

He did not, however, say what happened to the proposal.

He said the architect of the country's Constitution never thought of converting to Christianity or Islam even when attempts were made to allure him to embrace Islam.

"The Nizam of Hyderabad had sent a blank cheque to Ambedkar to adopt Islam. But, Ambedkar had turned it down," Malhotra said.