Lucknow, Dec 5: The Uttar Pradesh government, under Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, scrapped public holiday in marking the death anniversary of Dr Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar or Dr Baba Saheb Ambedkar on December 6. Dr B R Ambedkar died on December 6 in the year 1956. In a letter to all departments, the Uttar Pradesh government cancelled the public holiday on December 6.
Soon after the taking charge as the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath cancelled 15 public holidays in marking the birth or death anniversary of eminent personalities. Most of the holidays had been declared by the previous Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Samajwadi Party (SP) governments apparently to appease certain sections of the society, often with an eye on the vote bank.
Yogi Adityanath had in his address on the occasion of Dr BR Ambedkar’s 126th birth anniversary here expressed concern over the shrinking academic session due to increased holidays. “There should be no holidays in schools on birth anniversaries of great personalities. Instead, a special two-hour programme should be held to teach students about them. The 220-day academic session has been reduced to only 120 days due to such holidays and if this tradition continues, there will be no day left for teaching in schools,” he had said.