PUNE: “The Third Front is shaping up and it will be a reality in coming days. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will get a severe setback. They should realise that they would not come to power after the next elections,” said Bharatiya Republican Party (BRP) President Prakash Ambedkar on Monday. Ambedkar was addressing a press conference in the city to condemn the BJP government for the police lathi-charge at a Dhangar community’s rally at Choundi in Ahmednagar recently and the arrest of community leader Indrakumar Bhise.
He said,”The government has filed charges against Dhangar community leaders on the basis of their party affiliations. Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leaders being close to BJP, were released while leaders from other opposition parties faced stringent charges.”
Ambedkar demanded immediate release of Bhise and said, “We will wait till June 10. If he is not released even after that date, we will launch an agitation in every district and submit petitions to the district magistrate demanding his release. In 2014, the Dhangar community voted for the BJP, which had promised to include the community in the Scheduled Tribes (ST) category. Narendra Modi had made this promise at a rally in Solapur. However, nothing has been done till date in that direction.”
The BJP is not in favour of the unity of the Dhangar community. They are trying to split it by taking help of other parties. Earlier, the community supported the NCP. The NCP is trying to orchestrate a split in the community.”
Commenting on the farmers’ agitation, Ambedkar said, “Now, farmers should stop voting on the basis of caste. They should give votes to candidates who assure them of taking care of their rights.”
Expressing his displeasure over reservations based on economic condition, Ambedkar said, “Reservations based on the economic condition is a long-debated issue. A violent movement is launched in the northern states on the issue. Indian Constitution has given reservations on the basis of caste. No one has the right to change it.”