Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024 | Prakash Ambedkar questions PM Modi over farmer suicides, violence in Manipur, and Bangladesh scenario

Ambedkar said that the Centre and the BJP-led Maha Yuti government has failed to handle the agrarian crisis in Maharashtra which is leading to suicide by farmers.

From: MB/

Mumbai: Ahead of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly elections, Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) founder-President Prakash Ambedkar posed a series of questions to Prime Minister Narendra Modi ranging between farmer suicides in Maharashtra, violence in Manipur and the evolving scenario in Bangladesh. 

A lawyer, activist and politician, Ambedkar is the grandson of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, the chief architect of the Constitution. He is a two-time Lok Sabha MP from Akola and one-term Rajya Sabha member. 

"After the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government in Bangladesh, what is our new foreign policy with Bangladesh? Why are we losing one ally after another in the subcontinent?,” asked Ambedkar. 

He accused Modi and Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh of having failed in handling the violence against Christian Kukis in Manipur. “What is your intervention policy to put an end to violence in Manipur,” he asked.

Ambedkar said that the Centre and the BJP-led Maha Yuti government has failed to handle the agrarian crisis in Maharashtra which is leading to farmer suicides. 

“Why has your government put the farmers to the brink?  As many as 557 farmers have died by suicide in five districts — Amravati, Akola, Buldhana, Washim and Yavatmal — under the Amravati administrative division of Maharashtra between January and June this year,” said Ambedkar. 

On Maharashtra, he put several other questions on burning issues. “Why is your government trying to organise hate and riots between Hindus and Muslims in Maharashtra? Are your leaders spewing hate against Muslims for electoral gains and fueling an atmosphere of fear in society? Why is your government waging diabolic attacks against Dalits and Adivasis? Why reoccurring incidents of rape are prevalent in Maharashtra? Is your “triple-engine” government sleeping? When will our women be safe?.” 

He also wanted to know the stand of the BJP and its allies - Shiv Sena and NCP on Manoj Jarange Patil’s demand that Maratha reservations should be given from OBC’s quota. 

On China, he asked: “Why haven’t you shown your “laal aankh” to China and been meek on our nation’s standoff with China at the LAC which has been going on since April 2020? When are we getting our territories back from China?”.