Gujarat tribal party MLAs seek security, write to president

AHMEDABAD: Days after abstaining from voting in the Rajya Sabha elections in Gujarat, the two Bharatiya Tribal Party (BTP) MLAs - Chhotu Vasava and his son Mahesh - have sought security, claiming their "lives are in danger", and written a letter to the president.
While Chhotu Vasava is the founder of BTP, his son Mahesh, who represents Dediapada seat in Narmada district in the assembly, is the national president of the tribal party.
The party has two MLAs in the 182-member house.
Without naming anyone, Chhotu Vasava, who represents Jhagadia seat in Bharuch district, claimed their "lives are in danger" as they are in opposition in the BJP-ruled state and fighting for social justice and rights of tribals.
In a letter to President Ram Nath Kovind on June 24, Chhotu Vasava claimed people with "feudalist" mindset are creating rift between citizens and the whole society is moving towards social unrest.
"The Gujarat government along with police and anti-social elements had hatched a conspiracy for fake encounters in the past and it may happen in the future too," said Vasava in the letter.
The senior legislator said he and his son stayed away from the June 19 Rajya Sabha polls to highlight neglect of tribals.
"We had abstained from voting in the Rajya Sabha polls in protest of non-implementation of Schedule 5 of the Constitution for the welfare of tribals...looking at the possibility of fatal attack on us, it is necessary to provide us security at the earliest," he said in the letter.
The Vasavas stayed away from elections to four Rajya Sabha seats claiming their votes will go to only those who provide a written assurance about the implementation of Schedule 5 of the Constitution for the welfare of tribals.
While both the Congress and the BJP were confident of getting the support of the father-son duo, they did not turn up for voting.
The BJP won three seats, while the Congress had to settle for only one.