Ambedkar calls Modi a 'blackmailer'
Mumbai: A day after he was booked for his remarks against the Election Commission (EC), Dalit leader Prakash Ambedkar Friday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of being a blackmailer.
Addressing a poll rally at Akola in Maharashtra, Ambedkar alleged that Modi blackmailed the UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and her party saying if she did not want her son-in-law Robert Vadra to be in jail, they should refrain from joining hands with any other party.
"Can anyone tell me why Congress did not have an alliance with any other party across the country? Modi had put a condition that if Congress party wants Rabert Vadra not to be in jail, then it should refrain from forging an alliance with any other party," he claimed.
"That is why Congress did not have an alliance with any party. Modi is a blackmailer. He is blackmailing Sonia Gandhi and everyone else.
"This is Modi's style of functioning that Congress party did not have an alliance with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Delhi and Mamata Banerjee in West Bengal," Ambedkar alleged.
Ambedkar, grandson of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, is contesting the upcoming Lok Sabha election from Akola and Solapur constituencies in Maharashtra as a candidate of Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA).
VBA is an alliance of Ambedkar-led Bharip Bahujan Mahasangh (BBA) and Asaduddin Owaisi's AIMIM. The VBA is contesting all 48 Lok Sabha seats in the state.
Ambedkar was in talks with the Congress-NCP for the Lok Sabha elections. The Congress-NCP combine had been trying to bring Ambedkar, who has pockets of influence in the state, in its 'maha agadhi', a grand alliance of anti-BJP parties.
However, talks in this regard remained inconclusive.
On Thursday, Ambedkar had said at an election rally at Digras in Maharashtra's Yavatmal district that he will jail the EC for two days if voted to power for not letting political parties speak about the Pulwama terror attack.
Later, a case was registered against him under IPC sections 503 (criminal intimidation), 505 (statements conducing to public mischief), 189 (threat of injury to public servant).
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Focus on Vijay's poll promises; TVK assured 8 gm gold for women
Chennai (PTI): As the new-entrant TVK appears likely to emerge as the single largest party and form the government, the focus has now turned into actor-politician Vijay's poll promises, including 8 gm gold for marriage, which is worth about Rs 14,000 per gram (22 carat).
Vijay's assurances in the party manifesto include Rs 2,500 monthly assistance for women below 60 years, 8 gm gold for marriage and six free cooking gas cylinders a year, per family.
By 3 PM, as per EC data, Vijay's party is leading in 105 constituencies and it falls short of a simple majority (118) in the Assembly.
The actor-turned-politician also assured a quality silk saree in addition to gold for indigent brides and interest-free loans up to Rs 5 lakh for women-run SHGs. He assured corruption-free good governance if voted to power in his maiden electoral fight.
The manifesto also laid importance on education. To prevent school dropouts, mothers or guardians of children studying in government and state-aided schools will receive Rs 15,000 annually.
Vijay promised 100 special residential schools named after iconic leader K Kamaraj, credited with revolutionising education in the state, and higher education loans of up to Rs 20 lakh. The TVK founder also assured AI Ministry, AI University and AI City.
The manifesto placed a strong emphasis on agrarian welfare, too.
The party promised a full waiver of agricultural cooperative crop loans for farmers owning less than five acres of land, while those holding more than five acres will receive a 50 per cent waiver. Additionally, the party promised a Minimum Support Price (MSP) of Rs 3,500 per quintal for paddy and Rs 4,500 per tonne for sugarcane.
Addressing youth unemployment, Vijay pledged to create five lakh new government jobs and offer as many stipendiary internships. Unemployed graduates will be provided a monthly aid of up to Rs 4,000. For government employees, the party assured consideration of the Old Pension Scheme and the regularisation of contract workers, including nurses.
On the health front, he promised a drug-free Tamil Nadu. Vijay also committed to modernising hospitals, providing free annual health checkups, and introducing a Rs 25 lakh family health insurance scheme.
The manifesto also included a Rs 3,000 monthly pension for the elderly and the differently-abled, 200 units of free power, patta (land deed) regularisation, and 100 per cent piped drinking water supply for all households.
Some of the policy intereventions promised by TVK include a legal guarantee to provide essential government services like community certificates, and land pattas, within a strictly specified timeframe.
Vijay also promised doorstep delivery of governance by implementing a system to deliver services, such as ration supplies, directly to the people. He also assured that ease of doing business will be paramount to his government and promised a strict guarantee that business licences will be issued within 21 days.
Elections to 234 Assembly seats in Tamil Nadu were held on April 23.
