E-Paper
Prakash Ambedkar of VBA hospitalised after complaining of chest pain
Vanchit Bahujan Aaghadi said Prakash Ambedkar's family will not be taking questions at this time and requested all to respect their privacy.
Vanchit Bahujan Aaghadi (VBA) chief Prakash Ambedkar was admitted to hospital after complaining of chest pain on Thursday morning.
“Balasaheb Ambedkar is being treated at the ICU for a blood clot in his heart. His present condition is stable, and he will undergo angiography in the next hour,” the VBA said in a post on X.
“The Ambedkar family will not be taking questions at this time and requests you to respect the family's request for privacy as they deal with these circumstances,” the post added.
The party said Prakash Ambedkar would be kept under medical observation for the next 3-5 days and campaign for the state assembly elections in Maharashtra would now be led by its state president Rekha Tai Thakur, with the help of its Election Coordination Committee, Manifesto Committee and Media and Research Department.
Who is Prakash Ambedkar?
He is the grandson of Dr BR Ambedkar, the principal architect of the Indian Constitution and a prominent leader of the Dalit rights movement in Maharashtra. Prakash Ambedkar is also the founder of the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA), a political party formed to represent the interests of Dalits, Other Backward Classes (OBCs), Muslims, and other marginalized groups in the state.
Also read | Will form new SC-ST-OBC front for assembly polls: VBA chief
Prakash Ambedkar has been vocal about the need for more inclusive politics and has positioned VBA as an alternative to mainstream political parties, which he argues have not adequately addressed the need for social justice. He served as a Member of Parliament from 1999 to 2004, representing the Akola Lok Sabha constituency. He has also worked on social equity, economic reform, and caste discrimination issues.
2024 Maharashtra elections
On October 21, VBA announced its fifth list of 16 candidates for the state assembly elections. Prakash Ambedkar said his party has named candidates from different communities, which have been socially and politically excluded by the mainstream political parties and their governments.
Also read | OBCs should be alert, Maharashtra parties didn’t back Mandal Commission report: Prakash Ambedkar
Prakash Ambedkar has strongly opposed the demand to grant the Marathas a separate reservation from the OBC (Other Backward Classes) quota. He has criticised political parties for not clearly stating their positions on the issue and expressed concern over the potential impact on OBC communities.
Prakash Ambedkar has also criticised NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar for seeking to raise the quota cap in Maharashtra to 75 per cent. “This is intellectual bankruptcy. Reservation is not a development issue. It is a representative one,” he said, adding that the demand is akin to running away from the responsibility of providing citizens with secure lives.
(With PTI inputs)
