Congress condemns police violence against tribals in Chhattisgarh’s Hasdeo forest
New Delhi: Congress has strongly condemned police actions against tribal communities in BJP-ruled Chhattisgarh state, stating that the government is displacing indigenous populations to favor corporate interests.
According to Kashmir Media Service, violence erupted in the Hasdeo forest of Chhattisgarh’s Surguja district as local residents clashed with police over the deforestation associated with a coal mining project. The confrontation occurred near the villages of Fatehpur and Sali, leaving several protesters injured. The demonstrators had gathered to halt the felling of trees for the Parsa coal block project. Reportedly, approximately 5,000 trees were scheduled to be felled in the vicinity of six villages as part of this mining project.
The incident quickly attracted political attention, with Rahul Gandhi, Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, condemning the government’s actions. In a strongly worded post on X, he stated that the ruling BJP is violating the fundamental rights of the tribal communities in the Hasdeo region. “The attempt to forcibly seize the forest and land of the tribals through violent police action in Hasdeo Aranya is a blatant violation of their fundamental rights,” he said, highlighting the government’s disregard for the plight and rights of these indigenous inhabitants.
Adding to the criticism, Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra expressed her support for the protesters, asserting that the government is displacing indigenous communities to benefit corporate entities. “The tribals, who have been the rightful stewards of these forests for centuries, are being evicted to facilitate the operations of Adani ji’s mines,” she remarked, referencing industrialist Gautam Adani’s interests in the coal mining sector.
