Mumbai: The Maharashtra Congress on Thursday accused Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi chief Prakash Ambedkar of being against democracy and the Constitution and working in favour of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. Addressing a press conference, Congress leader Bhalchandra Mungekar said the real question was if Ambedkar ever wanted an alliance with the Maha Vikas Aghadi in the first place.
Ambedkar, who was in talks with MVA, comprising Congress, the Sharad Pawar-led NCP(SP) and Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena (UBT), finally went his own way, fielding candidates on several seats. Ambedkar filed the nomination for Akola seat earlier in the day. "The upcoming Lok Sabha polls is very crucial to save democracy in the country. It is not a BJP versus INDIA bloc election but against neo-fascist power. Babasaheb Ambedkar's stance was anti-Hitler and he believed only democracy can give real justice," he said.
"However, Prakash Ambedkar has taken a stand against these views. His decision to quit the MVA is unfortunate. It will only favour the BJP. Prakash Ambedkar used to call the BJP anti-constitutional and anti-democracy but when time came to fight, he took a position favourable to BJP," Mungekar claimed.
Mungekar said the VBA did not win a single seat in the 2019 Lok Sabh and Assembly polls but its candidates caused losses on nine Lok Sabha and 16 Assembly seats to the Congress and allies. However, in all this, not a single BJP candidate lost, which shows that the role of the VBA was beneficial to the ruling party, he added.
"This time, the VBA sought 12 seats be given to each party. Despite Prakash Ambedkar's continuous critical statements, the Congress respectfully invited him for the INDIA bloc rally at Shivaji Park on March 17. But his address at the rally made it clear his position was suspicious," Mungekar claimed.
