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Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray has insulted Babasaheb Ambedkar by criticising Dalit leaders from the state for their obsession with Indu Mills land to build an Ambedkar memorial, Republican Party of India leader Ramdas Athawale alleged in Mumbai on Tuesday.
"We strongly condemn Raj Thackeray's statement ridiculing the demand of Ambedkar followers, for whom the Indu Mills land issue is a matter of self respect," Athawale said.
"He has ridiculed our agitation. We condemn this. He says that we (RPI) did not condemn the violence after the Raza Academy protest. He is lying. We not only condemned the violence, but sought an inquiry to find out if Pakistan had a role in the violence," Athawale said.
The RPI did not hold a morcha as it felt that social harmony should not be disrupted, the former MP said, reacting to Raj Thackeray question about why the RPI was silent after policemen and people were brutally attacked during the protest against ethnic violence in Assam.
Athawale also questioned why Raj Thackeray did not condemn the violence in Lucknow and desecration of Buddha statues.