Mayawati Blames Congress, BJP for Plight of Adivasis, Says 'Many Tribals Were Forced to Join Naxals'

Lucknow: The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief and former CM Mayawati on Friday blamed both Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party for the plight of the Adivasi community after the Sonbhadra incident, where 10 people of the community were killed over land dispute.

“It is well known that the earlier governments of Congress and current government of BJP are responsible for the plight of the Adivasis. During the rule of Congress, Adivasis were ripped off their jungles which even led to many Adivasis getting close to Naxalism," the BSP chief said in a tweet.

"And now in the rule of BJP, people of Adivasi/Kol community have been hacked to death and their land has been taken away. However, it should be seen that whichever party is not in power that party sheds crocodile tears on the issues faced by Adivasis. A similar situation can be seen today after so many days in Sonbhadra. Meanwhile, BSP workers are continuously putting pressure the administration to ensure justice to the families who have lost their dear ones in the firing. We once again would like to demand justice for the victims from the government," she further said.

The tweet of BSP chief comes at a time when Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi sat on a dharna in Mirzapur as she was stopped on her way to Sonbhadra from Varanasi. Gandhi was on her way to Sonbhadra to meet the families of the victims who were killed in the firing due a land dispute in Umbha village of Sonbhadra district.

However, UP CM Yogi Adityanath, while speaking to media, on Friday said that the foundation of the land dispute was laid in 1955 during the Congress rule. CM Yogi has also constituted a three member committee to investigate the case and to submit the report to the government in ten days. CM Yogi also said that no one will be spared if found guilty, no matter how big the name is.