Nadda claims BJP is for tribals, forgets Centre’s discrimination towards Telangana

BJP government failed to consider Telangana’s rightful demand but is now claiming that it was the only party that worked for welfare of Tribal communities.

Hyderabad: This is hypocrisy at its best. The BJP, which has not approved Telangana’s Bill hiking reservation for Scheduled Tribes since the last six years and has not sanctioned a Tribal University for the State, is now claiming that no other party has worked hard in bringing the tribal community into the national mainstream.

And, this comes from BJP National president JP Nadda. Speaking at a meeting in Bellary, Karnataka, he said post-Independence, no political party made honest efforts for upliftment of Adivasis.

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It was only BJP, which had done the important work of bringing the tribal community to the national mainstream. Droupadi Murmu is President and it was a matter of pride for the entire nation, but it is a matter of great honour and extreme happiness for the entire Adivasi community, he said.

However, this has to be read along with what is happening in Telangana. The State has been appealing to the BJP led-Union government to sanction the Tribal University, which was assured under the AP Reorganisation Act.

Since the last eight years, the BJP government failed to consider Telangana’s rightful demand but is now claiming that it was the only party that worked for welfare of Tribal communities.

The BJP president also appreciated the Karnataka government for increasing tribals’ reservation from 3 per cent to seven percent. “I call this step taken by Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai as revolutionary and highly remarkable,” said JP Nadda.

In fact, around six years ago, Telangana State Legislative Assembly passed a Bill hiking reservations for tribals in the State from six per cent and 10 per cent. The same was sent to the union government for the Presidential assent.

Despite repeated pleas by the Telangana government, including Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao’s personal appeal to the Prime Minister, the BJP government kept the bill in cold storage.

Vexed with the Centre’s lackadaisical attitude, the State government issued orders on September 30 enhancing reservations for Scheduled Tribes from 6 per cent to 10 per cent, with effect from October 1. The reservations will be applicable in educational institutions and government jobs.