Pune: Sharad Pawar's statement sparks controversy, Ambedkar accuses him on reservation Issue

Pune: The Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) party, led by Prakash Ambedkar, launched a “Reservation Rescue Yatra” on Thursday,July 25. The yatra commenced at Chaityabhoomi, Dadar, with a tribute to Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar and after greeting Veer Bhai Kotwal proceeded to Mahatma Phule Wada in Pune. During a media interaction, Prakash Ambedkar made serious allegations against Sharad Pawar.

Prakash Ambedkar stated, Sharad Pawar recently said we will elect 225 MLAs from the community. Following this, there has been a movement among the OBCs. This seems to be an attempt to bring power to a particular group and appears to be a plan to permanently suspend OBC reservation. Pawar’s use of the word ‘society’ has created an angry atmosphere.”

Ambedkar also called for OBCs to elect 100 MLAs from their community, emphasizing the political identity of OBCs. He asserted that only with this representation can OBC reservations be safeguarded. While SC and ST reservations are constitutional, OBC reservations should be made constitutional as well. Ambedkar stressed the critical moment to decide whether to protect acquired rights with the support of organizations and parties. He also argued that the demand to grant reservation to the Maratha community from OBC quotas is not legal.

Interestingly, two days prior, Prakash Ambedkar had invited Sharad Pawar to join the reservation rescue yatra through a letter. However, he has now targeted Pawar on the reservation issue.

Demands of the Reservation Rescue Yatra

Before the yatra began, Prakash Ambedkar held a press conference to outline the demands:

Reading of OBC Reservations: The OBC reservations should be revisited and reinforced.
Doubling of SC-ST Scholarships: The scholarships for SC-ST students should be doubled, with contributions from both the center and the state, unlike the current scenario where only the center provides scholarships.
Equal Scholarships for OBC Students: OBC students should receive the same scholarships as SC-ST students.
Cancellation of Caste Certificate Form: The existing form for caste certificates should be canceled.
Kunbis Reservation: Those identified as Kunbis should receive reservations as they are included in the OBC category.
Promotion for SC, ST, and OBC: Promotions should be equally available to SC, ST, and OBC individuals.

Prakash Ambedkar’s statements and demands reflect a strong push for securing and expanding the rights and reservations for OBC communities amidst the political landscape.