Raipur, Chhattisgarh: The issue of tribal reservation has become a hot topic in Chhattisgarh. People surrounded Cabinet Minister Kawasi Lakhma and Congress candidate Savitri Mandavi when they came to campaign for the Bhanupratappur by-election in the Kanker district. Ministers Kawasi and Savitri Mandavi had reached Bogar village to seek votes. The villagers started shouting slogans regarding the cut in the reservation for tribals.
As soon as Lakhma started addressing the people in the village, the people of the tribal community gathered and started questioning him. They got angry. When he tried to pacify them, people started raising slogans. The tribal society blamed the state government for the reduction in reservations.
When he could not pacify the crowd, Minister Lakhma made a big statement. He said that if he could not provide the benefit of reservation to the tribals, he would leave politics. He also said that he will go to the President, the Governor, and the Supreme Court for the tribals if needed. “If there is no success till that time, I will separate myself from politics”, Lakhma said.
Regarding sloganeering against the government in front of him, Minister Kawasi Lakhma said, those people were not shouting slogans, they were narrating their ordeals. “Tribals also have rights”, he said. Lakhma also appealed to the tribal society to remain calm till December 2 and promised to bring back the reservation. Minister Kawasi Lakhma while addressing the people said that the assembly will have a special session on the issue of reservation only. “The session has been called. The government will not allow the tribal interests to be harmed”, he further assured the tribal people of the village.