Open to Congress, says Ambedkar while condemning NCP for links with Bhide Express News Service MUMBAI: Bharip Bahujan Maha Sangh (BBMS) leader Prakash Ambedkar on Thursday made it clear that his party is still open for an alliance with the Congress, but most certainly won't go with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).
While commenting on the case before the Supreme Court regarding the five arrested activists, Ambedkar said that the case is all about the difference between opposition to a government and going against the nation. He also accused the police of playing into the hands of politicians and arresting those who have been opposing the government under the pretext of arresting anti-nationals.
While commenting on RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat's recent speeches, Ambedkar said that the RSS ideology hasn't changed and Bhagwat was just trying to whitewash the things. Ambedkar also made it clear that his party's alliance with the All India Muslim Ittehad ul Musalmeen (AIMIM) for Maharashtra elections and there won't be any change even if he goes along with the Congress.
"We cannot leave AIMIM at this stage. However, we are keen to go with Congress and our doors are always open for them. We have a problem with the Congress friend NCP. The party chief Sharad Pawar is a secular, but his party isn't. The party has supporters of Sambhaji Bhide (allegedly responsible person for Koregaon-Bhima violence)," said Ambedkar.
"How can we take part in the Udayanraje Bhosale's (NCP MP from Satara) campaign rally who is a Bhide supporter," questioned Ambedkar and further added that only winning the elections is not his party's motive but he wants to sustain the ideological movement which is necessary for the healthy society.
Ambedkar also met Congress leader and leader of opposition in legislative assembly Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil today to discuss the possibility of alliance. When asked whether seat-sharing formula is the unresolved issue between the two parties, Ambedkar said, "Proper discussions regarding alliance with the Congress are yet to begin".
"RSS is intending to go back to Hindu National theory based on Aryan race (untouchability) theory like Hitler which was against the minority (other than Hindu religion)," Ambedkar said while condemning Bhagwat's recent speeches and said that people should beware of RSS stand as it is aimed at the Lok Sabha polls.
"Though Bhagwat tried to distance the RSS from Golwalkar's writings by saying that those were the ideas of the olden days and RSS is evolving organization, hardly anything has changed," Ambedkar said and added that Bhagwat was actually trying to convey that, "All other religions except Hinduism should scrap their cultural, linguistic, religious identities and should accept the Hindu as the national religion."
Ambedkar refused to comment over Ram Mandir saying that the issue is subjudice. However, while commenting on activists arrested over charges of having connections with banned Maoist organization, Ambedkar said that the real issue is that of making difference between being against the government and being against the nation.
"Government is trying to portray that being against them is being against the nation. That is understandable. However, the law enforcing agencies are becoming a tool in their hand, which is worrisome," he added.