Bhopal, Aug 4 (NationPress) The Congress party has continued its criticism of the Madhya Pradesh government led by the Bharatiya Janata Party, accusing them of usurping tribal lands and undermining their Constitutional rights in forested regions during the ongoing Monsoon session of the Assembly. This prompted responses from Chief Minister Mohan Yadav and State Tribal Affairs Minister Vijay Shah within the House.

From the outset of the Monsoon session, which commenced on July 28, the Congress has focused on the issue of tribal land, maintaining their stance even on the sixth day.

Former Minister and Congress MLA Jaivardhan Singh launched a fresh political offensive, asserting that tribal lands are being forcibly seized.

Jaivardhan, who represents Raghogarh and is the son of former Chief Minister Digvijaya Singh, claimed that tribals are being displaced and subjected to false accusations.

In response, Chief Minister Yadav stated, “During the BJP's tenure, more than 26,500 forest rights leases have been granted to the tribal community, which is the highest in Madhya Pradesh.”

Minister Vijay Shah further informed the House that decisions regarding forest land leases would be made following a comprehensive physical and aerial survey, adhering to the guidelines established under the Madhya Pradesh Van Bhumi Shashwat Patta Prati Sanharan Rules, 2005.

According to a report from the Union government, Madhya Pradesh, being the state with the largest forest cover in India, has identified and registered over 15,200 hectares of degraded forest land for environmental programs (up to February 2), the highest accumulation among all Indian states.

The rules state that individuals or private entities may engage in plantation efforts on degraded areas, including open forest, scrub land, wasteland, and catchment regions, thus earning green credits that can be traded and serve as a measure for corporate social responsibility.

Conversely, the Congress has been vocally addressing the tribal land issue for several months, intensifying their efforts during the current Monsoon session.

Under the leadership of Umang Singhar, the Leader of Opposition, Congress legislators staged a symbolic protest on July 28.

Earlier in June, the Congress had launched a severe critique of the BJP concerning tribal rights and forest land issues, with LoP Singhar, former Union Minister Arun Yadav, and Congress Working Committee member Kamleshwar Patel claiming that tribals are being denied their rights to water, forests, and land by the BJP government.

Former Chief Minister Kamal Nath, along with former LoP Ajay Singh and senior tribal leader Vikrant Bhuria, who represents Jhabua in the Assembly, have also consistently raised this concern.