Congress used tribals for political benefits, branded their habitations 'red corridor': PM

Says the entire country has been witnessing the development model of BJP

- PBD BUREAU/PTI

PRIME Minister Narendra Modi on Friday launched a scathing attack on the Congress, accusing it of deliberately keeping tribal communities underdeveloped and branding their regions as "red corridor" for political gains.

Addressing a public meeting to mark the first anniversary of Odisha's BJP government, Modi said the saffron party has fulfilled the long-awaited demands of the people as the four gates of Puri Jagannath temple and its 'Ratna Bhandar' (treasury) have been reopened.

"The party which ruled India for decades had neglected the tribal community and used them merely for political benefits,” he said in an apparent reference to the Congress.

He alleged that tribal-dominated regions were “intentionally left backward” during the previous regimes.

"Over 125 tribal-dominated districts in the country were affected by Maoists for years. These areas were given a bad name like 'red corridor’. Most of these districts were declared backward, and the then governments did not take the responsibility to develop them," Modi said.

On the other hand, Modi said that his government since some years has ‘freed the tribal society from violence and showed them the path to development.

"The BJP government took stern action against those spreading violence and at the same time ensured uninterrupted development in tribal areas," he said, adding that it has given dividends for which the Naxal violence is grossly contained.