NEW DELHI: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday said there is a pressing need to defend, protect and safeguard the ideals of B R Ambedkar as also his "finest" contribution - the Constitution of India.

"On the Mahaparinirvan Diwas of Babasaheb Dr Ambedkar, we express our heartfelt gratitude to the ardent champion of the Constitution and social justice," Kharge said in a post on X.

He said Ambedkar devoted his entire life to championing the democratic values of liberty, equality, fraternity, and justice.

"It is a pressing need of the hour to defend, protect and safeguard his ideals and ideas, as also his finest contribution to the nation '”the Constitution of India," the Congress chief said.

The day marks the death anniversary of B R Ambedkar, observed as Mahaparinirvan Diwas. It honours the legacy of the leader who gave the country its first Constitution and stood for the rights of the downtrodden and sought to transform India's social fabric.