Shah inaugurates statue of tribal icon at Sarai Kale Khan

Union home minister Amit Shah on Friday inaugurated tribal icon Birsa Munda's statue at Baansera park in Sarai Kale Khan and announced the Union government's decision to rename Sarai Kale Khan Chowk as Bhagwan Birsa Munda Chowk to mark the freedom fighter's 150th birth anniversary.

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The next yearlong period will be dedicated to tribal welfare through multiple events, the home minister said, and added that the statue is part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision to commemorate tribal heroes and make people aware of their contributions.

"The Modi government has done a lot of work for tribal pride. For the first time in 75 years after Independence, the Modi government has given a tribal the opportunity to become the President of India. In the last 10 years, this government has almost eliminated naxalism, which was blocking development in tribal areas and misleading children," Shah said.

Shah said the role of tribal communities in India's freedom struggle had been overlooked and in the last decade, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has undertaken efforts for their larger welfare.

The home minister said in this year's budget, the government increased the allocation for tribal welfare to ₹1.33 lakh crore.

The outreach is significant against the backdrop of elections that are underway in Jharkhand, a state with a large population of tribal communities.