Utilise Ambedkar statue money to help Wadia hospitals: Prakash

Dalit leader Prakash Ambedkar on Saturday suggested that the Bombay high court ask the Maharashtra government to utilise funds sanctioned for the proposed statue of his grandfather B R Ambedkar in Mumbai for improvement of Wadia hospitals for women and children instead.

The Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government on Wednesday approved a proposal to raise the height of the proposed statue of the Dalit icon at the Indu Mills compound in Mumbai by 100 feet and cleared the revised expenditure of Rs 1089.95 crore for the memorial project.

"I have raised an objection about the proposed statue of Babasaheb Ambedkar in the Indu Mill. I think the government should establish a center for intellectual thoughts instead. Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had allotted this land for an international school of studies, but the political leaders are using this land for a statue," Ambedkar, who heads Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi, told reporters.

I request the HC to utilise the funds allocated for the statue to the improvement of Wadia hospitals, he said.

The Maharashtra government on Friday told the HC it had released Rs 24 crore to cash-strapped Bai Jerbai Wadia Hospital for Children and Nowrosjee Wadia Maternity Hospital in Mumbai.

Ambedkar said a Maharashtra bandh has been called on January 24 against the "economic crisis", new citizenship law, NPR (National Population Register) and the likely NRC.

"Around 35 social and political organisations will be participating in the strike," he said.