BJP, Sena are supporting RPI, not otherwise: Athawale

Union minister Ramdas Athawale said that it is the bigger parties like BJP and Shiv Sena who are supporting RPI (A) instead of other way round.
"Bigger parties like Bharatiya Janata Party and Shiv Sena are supporting RPI (A), rather than saying RPI (A) is supporting BJP," the MoS for Social Justice told a rally organised at 'Chaityabhumi' in suburban Dadar last evening on the occasion of 60th death anniversary of dalit icon B R Ambedkar.
Athawale's RPI (A) is a constituent of the BJP-led NDA governments at Centre and Maharashtra.
"The Republican party can be more influential in power politics if other factions join it as well. We need people who can contest election on RPI's sign. We should win more seats in corporation elections as well," the dalit leader said.

Athawale proposed intercaste marriages to "bring down the caste and community differences, which he said is an "effective solution to the rigid caste structure."
"Had Babasaheb Ambedkar not written such inclusive Constitution, a tea vendor would not have become prime minister of the country," he said without taking name of Narendra Modi.