Shiv Sena leader Ram Pandagale joins Congress; Nirupam comments on Prakash Ambedkar’s stand

Ahead of Maharashtra Assembly and Lok Sabha elections next year, former MLC and Dalit leader Ram Pandagale on Monday joined Congress in the presence of Mumbai Congress President Sanjay Nirupam.

Moments after his entry in Congress, Pandagale slammed Modi government and said that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government has been oppressing and committing atrocities against people from backward communities.

Under the BJP government, the atrocious acts on Dalits and other marginalised communities have increased. Since Independence, the condition of the backward communities has never been so helpless,” said Dalit Leader Ram Pandagale.

Advocating for Congress President Rahul Gandhi, Pandagale said that he wants Rahul Gandhi to become the next Prime Minister of India so that the enormity being committed against Dalits can stop. 

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They (BJP) kill and assault people from a lower caste in the name of the cow. I want nothing but dignity for Dalit community so that they can live in this country just like every other citizen,” Ram Pandagale added.

Pandagale left Shiv Sena to join Congress again because of the rising violence against lower caste people saying that he wants Rahul Gandhi to become the PM after elections in 2019. This happened during a press conference in Mumbai while welcoming Ram Pandagale to Congress party, Nirupam said that it is time to unite against Modi government for the atrocities against Dalits to stop. 

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Speaking about Bharip Bahujan Mahasangh (BBM) chief Prakash Ambedkar’s decision to ally with All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), the Mumbai Congress President said that this decision will only help BJP and will divide voters. Nirupam clearly indicated that Congress won’t ally with BBM until this decision is revoked. 

Before joining Shiv Sena in 2014 before the general elections, Pandagale was a Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MLC. However, he left NCP calling NCP chief Sharad Pawar “anti-Dalit” and then Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar a “dictator”.