Congress needs introspection to feel 'tribal sentiment': Rijiju

Itanagar, Aug 27 (UNI) Blaming the Congress regime of utilising the tribal populace for gaining power, Lok Sabha MP and BJP national secretary Kiren Rijiju said the former needs to feel the tribal sentiment of the people.

The MP made this remark yesterday at the two-day state executive meeting-cum-training programme of the state Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha(BJYM) here, party sources informed here today.

''The Congress never had serious feelings for the tribals, but simply utilised them for vote banks. The then BJP-led government under Atal Behari Vajpayee had recognised the importance of tribal development. he had created a separate ministry for Tribal Affairs in the country which, the Congress didn't during its rule of over 50 years,'' he claimed.

''The need of the hour was to realise our strengths and co-ordinate our efforts to replicate good things so that we can face the challenges in harnessing available natural resources to give people their due,'' he added.

While observing that the ruling Congress was no more enjoying popular referendum in Arunachal due to infighting in the party, the MP claimed that the people of the state were looking for a viable alternative in the next Assembly polls, sources added.

Meanwhile, BJP National Mahila Morcha president and MP Kiran Maheshwari would be visiting Itanagar and addressing a two-day meeting of the state Mahila Morcha executive members as well as district presidents and secretaries on August 29 and 30 next.

She would also interact with women activists and representatives of NGOs and a few intellectuals to take feedback on women's issues, particularly issues pertaining to 33 per cent reservation for women in Parliament and others.

The state Mahila Morcha would take the opportunity to flag-off its year-long celebration of the 150 years of First War of Independence(1857).

The MP would be accompanied by BJP Northeast-in-charge P Chandrasekhar Rao, sources added.

UNI