Dalit leaders demand land near Sassoon Hospital for Ambedkar memorial 

Dalit leaders from Pune recently met chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, urging the state government to allocate land near Mangalwar Peth for a Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar memorial. The proposed site is located near Sassoon Hospital. 

With support from Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol, leaders, including Avinash Salve, Parshuram Wadekar, and Siddharth Dhende submitted their demand to Fadnavis. 

Salve stated, “The land is close to the existing Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar auditorium. Establishing a memorial here has been a long-standing demand, as it would serve as a significant landmark for Western Maharashtra.” 

Chief minister Fadnavis acknowledged the request and assured the delegation, saying, “The state government will consider this proposal.” 

The land in question has already been allocated to a private builder under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model. However, some leaders have opposed this move, demanding that the land be transferred to Sassoon Hospital for the construction of a cancer hospital. Now, the demand for an Ambedkar memorial has further complicated the matter.