Rahul Gandhi hits out at BJP’s ‘perverted logic’ behind calling tribals ‘vanvasis’

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday accused the ruling BJP at the Centre of attempting to restrict the tribal communities to the jungles and deny their status as original owners of the land by calling them 'Vanvasi' instead of 'Adivasi'.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday accused the ruling BJP at the Centre of attempting to restrict the tribal communities to the jungles and deny their status as original owners of the land by calling them 'Vanvasi' instead of 'Adivasi'.

He reiterated the issue which he had raised a fews days ago in Rajasthan while addressing a party rally where he had said that the BJP "insults" the tribal community by calling them "Vanvasi" instead of Adivasi and snatches away their forest land to hand it over to industrialists.

After inaugurating the HT Connection at Dr Ambedkar District Memorial Cancer Centre at Nalloornad in Mananthavady area of Wayanad district of the state, Gandhi alleged that there was a perverted logic behind calling tribals as vanvasis.

"It is to deny that you (tribals) are the original owners of the land and also restrict you to the jungle.