Congress leader Sushil Anand Shukla on Wednesday took a jibe at President of Sarva Adivasi Samaj Chhattisgarh Arvind Netam and said that the former Congress leader was technically in the Congress party but mentally and physically he was working against the party.

“He was only technically part of Congress. However, he was working against Congress mentally and physically. Secondly, considering the motive behind which he left the party, if he was sincere then he would still have been part of the Congress,” said Sushil Anand Shukla.

The Congress leader also added that in the past five years of the Congress government in the state, maximum number of decisions for the benefit of the tribal society in the entire country had been taken in the state of Chattisgarh.

“Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel worked continuously for the social, economic, educational, political progress of the tribal society, for the restoration of the constitutional rights of the tribal society, so his leaving the Congress in the name of progress of the tribal society is suspicious in itself,” stated Shukla.

Arvind Netam, a senior leader from tribal background submitted his resignation from the Congress party’s primary membership, ahead of the next assembly elections in Chhattisgarh.
Former Union minister and well-known tribal leader Arvind Netam has a long history of affiliation with the Congress party and has played a significant role in addressing the issues of tribal people.

Earlier this month, former Netam stated that the tribal body will field 50 contestants in the assembly elections slated end of this year.

Moreover, the former Union Minister hinted at keeping a close watch on general seats.
“Tribal people in Chhattisgarh are fighting for ‘Jal, Jungle, Zameen’ (water, former and land) and the government along with corporate houses is exploiting them. Tribal people in interior areas of Bastar have been agitating for a long time and this is the evidence that tribal people are dissatisfied,” said Netam.

It is their compulsion to contest the elections for protecting the interest of the tribal population, he added.
Speaking about the celebration of International Day of World’s Indigenous Peoples on August 9, Netam informed the media persons that in view of coming elections, the Sarva Adivasi Samaj has decided to field contestants and also review the schemes being run by the government in the interest of tribal people in the country.