Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad makes U-turn, says won't fight Modi in Varanasi
New Delhi: Nearly a month after he announced to contest against Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Varanasi, Bhim Army founder Chandrashekhar Azad Wednesday rescinded his decision, saying his outfit will support the SP-BSP-RLD alliance in the seat as the Dalit vote should remain intact to defeat the BJP.
Azad's remarks come a few days after Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati termed him a BJP agent and accused him of dividing Dalit votes.
"I have decided not to contest from Varanasi because I do not want that my decision should strengthen the BJP or Modi in anyway. We all want to defeat the BJP," he said at a press conference.
Azad also said the Bhim Army will support the SP-BSP-RLD alliance in the Varanasi seat and asked it to field Satish Chandra Mishra, Mayawati's general secretary and Brahmin face of the BSP, from the constituency.
He said that if the SP-BSP-RLD alliance fielded Mishra, they will also be able to get some upper caste votes. Earlier, the Bhim Army chief had accused Mishra of misleading Mayawati and conspiring against the Dalit group.
On Mayawati's criticism of him, he said, "I was in jail for 16 months. While behind the bars, everyday I would hope that 'behenji' would take our side, fight for us, but she did not utter a word. After getting released, I tried calling her up, but she never responded."
"Our own people are calling us agents of the BJP, but I still want her to become our prime minister. I want to end this war of words with Mayawati once and for all. I want to make it clear that we did not form the Bhim Army at the behest of the BJP," Azad said.
At an event to mark Ambedkar Jayanti in Madhya Pradesh's Mhow on April 14, he had said that the Bhim Army, and not Mayawati, was the "real well-wisher" of Dalits.
He had earlier attacked Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav for "giving promotion to officers who inflicted atrocities on Dalits".
"His father says in Parliament that he wants Modi to become prime minister again. They are agents of the BJP, not me.
"They call me an agent for questioning them. Yes, I am an agent of B R Ambedkar... If my own people were not in my way, I would have shown you (Akhilesh) that if we can vote you to power, we can pull you down too," he had said.
Chandrashekhar had announced at a rally in the national capital last month that he would contest against Modi from Varanasi and had welcomed support of all parties, including the Congress, to take on the BJP.
He had also sought the support of the SP and the BSP for his candidature, saying that the Dalit group would back their alliance in other seats.
The SP-BSP-RLD alliance is yet to declare its candidate against Modi in Varanasi.
The Chandrashekhar-led group shot to limelight during the May 2017 clashes between Dalits and upper caste Thakurs in Saharanpur.
Chandrashekhar was arrested after the clashes. Though he was granted bail by the Allahabad High Court, the UP Police arrested him under the stringent National Security Act. He was released in September 2018 after 16 months in jail.
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Min. Priyank Kharge to expresses concern over implementation of VB-G Ram G
Bengaluru: Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister Priyank Kharge has expressed concern over the uncertainty surrounding the implementation of the proposed VB-G Ram G scheme, stating that the MNREGA programme, which has been a lifeline for rural India for nearly two decades, appears to be facing an uncertain future.
Speaking to media, Kharge said that as March 31 draws to a close, there is no clarity on the rollout of the new scheme from April 1. He pointed out that the central government has not yet issued the necessary guidelines for implementing the scheme for rural workers and villages.
He criticised the Centre for its lack of preparedness, stating that there is no clarity on fund allocation, no final parameters for classifying gram panchayats, and key processes such as social audits have not been defined.
Kharge said the situation comes at a critical time, as summer marks a peak period for rural employment demand, when many people depend heavily on wage employment for their livelihood.
He added that reports have emerged of delays in approvals and families not receiving work despite demand.
He further alleged that the Centre’s move to shift from a statutory employment guarantee to a rule-based allocation system is already showing negative consequences.
Kharge also raised concerns over provisions such as a mandatory 60-day halt during agricultural seasons, which he said would further limit employment opportunities for rural workers.
The BJP-led central government had claimed that the new scheme would transform rural India, but in reality it is turning out to be detrimental to people’s livelihoods, he said.
“The crisis in rural India due to the stalling of MNREGA is beginning to unfold. Given the Centre’s past record in handling such situations, there is growing concern over the impact on rural livelihoods,” Kharge said.
