Sharad Pawar, Uddhav Thackeray not supporting OBCs: Prakash Ambedkar

Pune: Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) President Prakash Ambedkar has alleged that the role of NCP (SP) led by Sharad Pawar and the Shiv Sena (UBT) led by Uddhav Thackeray is now clear that they are not supporting the Other Backward Classes (OBCs). “If 100 OBC MLAs are not elected in the State Assembly elections, the OBCs reservations could be in danger,” he said.

Ambedkar was addressing the media in Pune. He said, “Sharad Pawar is with Manoj Jarange Patil. He supports Jarange’s stand that the Marathas should get reservations under the OBC quota. Jarange will try to get his demand fulfilled after the elections. The OBC quotas in education and jobs will be stayed through the State Assembly in the absence of imperial data.

“The OBCs will have to decide if they want to save their reservations. They will have to elect at least 100 MLAs. Sharad Pawar and Uddhav Thackeray have made it clear that they do not support the OBCs. Earlier, Thackeray asked the Marathas to get the ceiling on the OBC reservations increased so that they could get the benefits. He does not approve of the OBCs’ demand that the Marathas should not be given quota under the OBC category. The VBA is with the OBCs. We completely support the demand that the Marathas should not be given the quota under the OBC category.”

Clarify on the encounter of the accused in Badlapur case

Ambedkar said, “The accused in the Badlapur case snatched a policeman’s gun and fired three rounds of bullets, in which a policeman was injured. To clear doubts on the issue, the government should publish the medical report of the injured policeman. It should be clear exactly where the bullet hit his thigh. This would put a full stop on discussions and doubts over the issue. It should be known where the accused was being taken. If the government does not clarify, then people would think that the accused was made a scapegoat to save someone else. Therefore, the government should put forth facts.”