Adilabad: Adivasis are up in arms against the BJP and its state unit president K. Laxman for saying that the party will continue to keep the Lambadas on the Scheduled Tribes list. Dr Laxman made the statement while addressing a meeting in Badhradri Kothagudem on Friday.
Adivasis burnt effigies of Dr Laxman in Ichoda town and demanded that he tender an unconditional apology to them for insulting their agitation demanding removal of Lambadas from the ST list. Adivasis gathered at various places including the Indravelli martyrs memorial here and staged protests against his statement.
They are demanding that the BJP state president take back his statement and tender an unconditional apology for having made it.
It is the BJP’s turn now to face the ire of the Adivasis on this issue. The Congress and TRS have done so in the past.
For the first time in the BJP’s history, an Adivasi, Mr Soyam Bapurao, was elected MP from Adilabad on a party ticket, and five zilla parishad territorial constituency seats went to the BJP. But Dr Laxman’s statement is likely to have a negative impact on the party’s fortunes in Adilabad.
Adivasis have been demanding that the state and the Centre remove Lambadas from the ST list, saying they were included in violation of the constitutional procedure in 1976 during the Emergency.
The BJP has been attacked by the Lambadas, too, after Mr Bapurao’s statements against the Lambada’s ST status.
Lambada leaders have demanded that the BJP make clear its stand on the issue and whether the party endorses Mr Bapurao’s statement on Lambadas.
