Dr BR AmbedkarDr BR AmbedkarRSS mouthpieces Organiser and Panchjanya are coming out with a "collector's edition" on Dr BR Ambedkar's 125th birthday on April 14. The 200-page bumper issue will celebrate Ambedkar as a 'purifier' who spoke against Islamic aggression and supported the controversial 'ghar wapsi' or reconversion of Muslims and Christians into Hinduism.

The special editions have pieces written by the Sangh Parivar's Dalit leaders and joint secretary Krishna Gopal. The books, which term Ambedkar as a nationalist, will be launched by the Sangh organising secretary Bhaiyyaji Suresh Joshi next week.

Till now, Sangh Parivar publications have never had a collector's edition. The spotlight would be on Ambedkar's views on Pakistan. "He saw the universal brotherhood of Islam uniting just Muslims. He was critical of the spirit of aggression of political Islam that takes advantage of the weakness of Hindus and follows gangsterism," said Prafulla Ketkar, Organiser's editor, according to an Economic Times report .

"Also, when in Pakistan and some provinces such as Hyderabad, Scheduled Caste Hindus were forcibly converted, Ambedkar warned them against it and told the converted Hindus they would be welcomed back. In a way, he supported ghar wapsi," he added.

On Ambedkar's birthday, special functions will be held in Nagpur and Nashik to bring Ambedkar adherents closer to RSS Ambedkarities.

Meanwhile, Anand Teltumbde, professor at IIT Kharagpur who has studied Ambedkar closely, said that the RSS has always tried to appropriate him by misinterpreting his views on Pakistan and Muslims. "Ambedkar's book, 'Thoughts on Pakistan', has to be carefully read because he fights like a lawyer for both the Hindus and Muslims," he said.