Former Congress President Rahul Gandhi alleged on Wednesday that the Bharatiya Janata Party has begun terming tribes as vanvasi (forest-dwellers) and this constituted the greatest insult to adivasis.
Addressing a public meeting here as part of his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, the visiting leader averred, “The Sidhi incident reveals the BJP ideology. That party persons also misbehaves with dalits and indigent backward individuals. BJP persons insult the weak everywhere.”
The word adivasi means the first owner of land, Gandhi said, adding that if the adivasi nomenclature is used then the government will have to provide rights relating to water, jungles and land.
“Someday, they will even snatch forests from you. At that juncture, tribal folk will be told to work as labourers, beg or die of hunger. The population’s 8 per cent comprises adivasis and they make up 24 per cent of Madhya Pradesh’s populace. However, not a single member of that category ranks among owners of major companies,” he underlined while raining fire on the Adani Group and other corporate houses.
The former Congress President assured that a caste census shall be conducted as soon as the Congress comes to power at the Centre and legislation drafted for providing Minimum Support Price guarantee to peasants.
Among those present was party chief Mallikarjun Kharge.
