Raipur (Chhattisgarh) [India], August 26 (ANI): Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai on Wednesday accused the Congress of using the tribal community as a vote bank for decades, saying it was the BJP government that genuinely worked for the development and welfare of Scheduled Tribes.
CM Sai said people across the country, including members of Scheduled Tribes, had observed the Congress's approach towards the community for the past 50-60 years. He alleged that the party had merely used the tribal community as a vote bank, while the BJP had taken concrete steps for its development.
"The people of the country, including the Scheduled Tribes, have observed the Congress party for 50-60 years, and the party has merely used the tribal community as a vote bank. It is the BJP government that has genuinely cared for them," Sai said.
The Chief Minister highlighted the role of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in setting up a separate ministry for the development of Scheduled Tribes.
"When the revered Atal Bihari Vajpayee was Prime Minister, he established a separate ministry within the Government of India for the development of Scheduled Tribes, a step the Congress could have taken much earlier," he said.
Sai further said tribal communities were now benefiting from various government schemes and initiatives. He said the benefits of welfare programmes had reached members of the tribal community and credited the BJP-led government with working towards their development.
He further added that today, India's President, Droupadi Murmu, is a member of a Scheduled Tribe. "It is a matter of great pride for us that our country's president is from a Scheduled Tribe," he said.
Meanwhile, Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma, speaking on a protest by police recruitment aspirants in Kawardha, said the protesters were demanding the release of a second waiting list. Sharma said he had raised the matter before the state Cabinet and had tabled a proposal on the issue.
According to Sharma, Chief Minister Sai has constituted a committee to take a final decision on the demand and the matter is currently under discussion. He said there is no existing provision for a second waiting list, which was why the matter had to be taken up at the Cabinet level.
"If there had been a provision, the department itself would have handled it," Sharma said.
On the proposed 'One Nation, One Election' system, Sharma also criticised Congress leader P Chidambaram, alleging that he did not support the idea of a unified electoral system. He referred to Chidambaram's past statements on Naxalism and accused him of supporting forces that, according to Sharma, seek to weaken and fragment the country.
"P. Chidambaram does not want 'One Nation' at all. His past statements regarding Naxalites suggest that he wishes to empower forces that are destructive and seek to fragment the country," he added. (ANI)
Congress used tribal community as vote bank for 50-60 years: Chhattisgarh CM Vishnu Sai
