Chhattisgarh minister ignoring tribals, says BJP leader

Raipur, Nov 1 (UNI) Chhattisgarh Bharatiya Janata Party Adivasi Morcha President Devlal Dugga today accused state Home Minister Ram Vichar Netam of ''overlooking and ignoring'' the interests of tribals.

''The minister is patronising those police officers who have an anti-tribal attitude. And these officers even publicly claim proximity to the minister,'' he told a group of mediapersons.

Mr Dugga is the second senior BJP leader to come out in the open against ministers in the nearly three-year-old Raman Singh government after senior tribal leader and the then state BJP president Shiv Pratap Singh went to the press criticising the functioning of a few ministers.

Subsequently, the BJP replaced Mr Singh with Mr Vishnu Dev Sai.

''I am not only a legislator but also the president of the party's state Adivasi Morcha. Tribal MLAs had expectations that the problems pertaining to their constituencies would be solved,'' he said.

Mr Dugga said that the police in tribal Kanker district was not taking action in cases of atrocities against tribals but was instead harassing the complainants.

The BJP leader said that he had already brought the matter to the notice of Mr Netam and senior police officers but they overlooked the complaints.

''We are not going to remain silent and the matter will be taken up with the Chief Minister, the party's national leadership and at appropriate party fora,'' he warned.

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