Prakash Ambedkar wants Congress to pronounce road map for action against RSS for alliance
MUMBAI: Bharip Bahujan Maha Sangh (BBMS) leader Prakash Ambedkar has set a condition before the Congress to set a roadmap for action against RSS before the parties could hold talks for an alliance.
"For us, mere seat sharing is not important. The Congress must pronounce its agenda regarding action against the RSS. Only once they do so, will we make public our stand on an alliance with them," Ambdekar said.
Ambedkar's BBMS has already tied up with Asaduddin Owaisi's All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) in Maharashtra for the forthcoming Lok Sabha as well as assembly elections. While Ambedkar has a dislike for the NCP and had publically said that NCP supremo Sharad Pawar helps the BJP, the Congress nurses a similar sentiment against AIMIM.
However, neither of the two parties has ruled out possibility of alliance as yet.
Ambedkar has also demanded 12 of the 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra from the Congress. However, this is not likely to go down well with the Congress, which has already been holding alliance talks on the side with the NCP and a few smaller parties.
"During talks to discuss possibility of an alliance, with Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil and Manikrao Thackeray, I told them that we want to contest 12 seats where Congress had consistently failed. I also asked them to put forth a clear roadmap regarding the RSS. They should clarify whether the party would try to bring the organisation under ambit of law or will dismantle it after coming to power. We told them that a decision regarding alliance would be taken only after receiving a reply to this question," Ambedkar said.
"I was told that the proposal on an alliance would be conveyed to Rahul and Sonia Gandhi. However, there has been no progress in talks since," he said.
He also made it clear that he won't severe ties with the AIMIM and added that the Congress had even joined hands with the Muslim League and, hence, shouldn't have any problem joining hands with Owaisi's party.
Wading into the ongoing temple debate, Ambedkar said there is no provision for an ordinance to acquire land for a Ram Temple in Ayodhya. He said there should be a referendum on the issue.