Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Leader of Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) adv Prakash alias Balashaeb Ambedkar urged people to elect 100 MLAs in the ensuing Assembly election to maintain the reservation.
He was speaking in a public meeting held at Aam Khaas Ground on Wednesday as part of the valedictory ceremony of his State-wise‘Arakshan Bachav Yatra.’
He said that peace was spreadingin the State and the panic ended in the villages due to Arakshan Bachav Yatra.
Adv Prakash Ambedkar predicted that the Legislative Assembly elections may be held before Diwali instead of November so that they (VBA) should get time for preparations.
He advised people to fight for reservation in the Assembly elections and not on the streets.
“It should be fought with votes. This time around, the vote should be given to those who maintain the reservation. Because, on the other hand, the announcement about the election of 225 MLAs of the Maratha community was made. Now, it is high time for OBCs to decide whether they want to save the reservation or not. For that, they have to stay with the parties that fight to save the reservation. Otherwise, there is a threat to reservation,” he said.
VBA head said that 31 Maratha MPs were elected and not a single of them is poor. Criticising the MPs, he termed them as Nizami Marathas.
He said, “Whether Manoj Jarange will contest the election or not, it will be cleared on August 29. I feel that he (Jarange) should contest the election.”
He said that Alutedar-Balutedar was frightened in the villages.
“There was oppression. We started ‘Arakshan Bachav Yatra which helped in stopping this oppression. OBC community members felt confident that they had the support of somebody. OBCs are ill-treated and this should be stopped. Many policemen told me on the phone that their work became easier the procession helped in prevailing peace,” he added.
State unit president of VBA Rekha Thakur, Sujat Ambedkar, Navnath Waghmare, Utkarsha Rupate, Farooq Ahmed, Ramesh Baraskar, Avinash Bhosikar, Govind Dalvi, Priyadarshi Telang, Sarvajit Bansode, and others were present in the meeting.
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Expressing regret, adv Ambedkar said that he had invited the stakeholders of reservation Chhagan Bhujbal and Sharad Pawar, for the yatra, but they did not come.
He said some people from the Ambedkarite movement were criticising Arakshan Bachav Yatra. Without taking the names of those leaders, he said they only liked packets.
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Reservation is social issue
He said that poor Marathas feel that poverty should be eliminated, so, they have become angry about not getting reservations.
Adv Ambedkar said that actually, reservation is a social issue, but its fight became political.
He also advised OBC community members to remain alert.
“I met Jarange way back. I did not support him at that time nor today. His demand cannot be fulfilled. There will be a revolution if he joins politics. Maharashtra will be freed from 179 established families of Maratha,” he hoped.