Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar
Advocate Prakash Ambedkar on Saturday appealed to the Muslim community and clerics to prioritise political unity, saying that without alliances, confronting the RSS and BJP would be impossible. Speaking at a public meeting at Aamkhas Maidan while campaigning for Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) candidates in the municipal elections, Ambedkar called the VBA the only secular party consistently fighting for Muslim rights and urged voters to ensure its decisive victory.
He questioned whether any Muslim corporator in the city had stood firmly on issues such as Aurangzeb or the hijab, and criticised community leaders and organisations for failing to openly support secular forces. Recalling the 1980s and 1990s, he said Muslims had earlier supported socialist and communist parties, but shifted to Congress after the decline of those parties. He warned that if secular forces are weakened, minorities would be the first targets. Ambedkar also criticised government economic policies, alleging that high U.S. tariffs on Indian goods would reduce exports, weaken the rupee, and increase inflation. Referring to the Badlapur sexual assault case, he claimed politically influential individuals were being shielded, which could endanger societal safety. Citing a recent statement by the Army Chief about a potential war in the next four months, Ambedkar warned that Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, being a military hub, could become a target. “If a missile or bomb falls here, all of us will be affected,” he said, urging voters not to strengthen prime minister Modi through their votes, claiming global political conflicts would burden ordinary citizens.