‘Pathalgadi movement’ workers held: BTP chief starts campaign to support ‘accused’

Late Saturday night, Vasava, on his official Twitter handle, started a campaign to support Kachhap.

Earlier on Saturday, Vasava put out a series of tweets with the hashtag “Naxali ki paribhasha batao” (Tell us the definition of naxalites), stating, “Those who have raised a finger at a daughter of a tribal and called her a naxalite, must also tell us what is the definition of naxalites.”

When contacted, Vasava explained that the campaign was against “all those governments’ that have” violated the Constitution for destroying tribal communities in the name of naxalism. But none of the governments have defined what naxalism is. Let the Congress and BJP leaders not take this discussion on a different tangent. We want a definition of the term,” he said, adding that the governments were using the law against those who were fighting for the rights of the tribal communities and seeking the implementation of the Schedule V of the Constitution along with the Panchayats (Extension to the Scheduled Areas (PESA) Act.

Vasava, who, along with his son, abstained from voting in the Gujarat Rajya Sabha polls in June, seeking an undertaking from the BJP and the Congress about the implementation of the two provisions, has also announced a ‘Pathalgadi movement’ in the state earlier in June. The announcement had come after the Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Ltd (SSNNL) began fencing lands of the tribal villages, which it had acquired in 1961 for the construction of the Narmada Dam. The fencing had resulted in much tension and violent clashes with the police providing protection to SSNNL officials.

In Rajasthan, however, where the current state government headed by Congress leader Ashok Gehlot is in a crisis after a rebellion by Sachin Pilot, the only two BTP MLAs have supported Gehlot.

The move comes after an initial whip issued by Vasava’s son and BTP president Mahesh Vasava — also an MLA from Dediapada Assembly Constituency in Narmada district — warning the two MLAs to remain inert.

The BTP had also voted for the Congress in the Rajya Sabha polls in Rajasthan last month.