Dissatisfied by State Congress, senior tribal leader and four-time MP Arvind Netam submits resignation to AICC

Raipur

In a major political development in Chhattisgarh, senior tribal leader of the Congress party, Arvind Netam, has submitted his resignation to the All India Congress Committee (AICC) and the state Congress president. Netam is a prominent face of the entire tribal community. He has previously served as a minister in the Indira Gandhi and Narasimha Rao governments at the Centre.

Netam wrote in his letter, “I am an active member of the Congress party. Five years ago, upon the invitation of then president Rahul Gandhi, I returned to the Congress to consistently contribute with my experience and strengthen the party. However, due to the uncooperative behavior of the state leadership, I have been disappointed.”

The state leadership, instead of working for the constitutional rights provided by Dr B R Ambedkar for the tribal society, has worked against these rights and has repealed the Gram Sabha’srights in water, forests, and land through the PESA (Panchayats Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act of 1996. Thus, there is an anti-tribal government. “Therefore, on the occasion of World Tribal Day, I am resigning from the primary membership of the party. I am grateful to the central leadership for always providing guidance and counsel; I express my gratitude to the party for that,” Netam wrote on Wednesday.

Netam, a four-time Member of Parliament, has served as a minister in the governments of Indira Gandhi and Narasimha Rao. In 1996, he left the Congress and then returned to the party in 1998. In 2012, during the presidential election, he supported tribal leader Sangma, which led to his expulsion from the party once again. In 2018, Netam re-entered the Congress party. Netam has played his political cards with parties like BSP, BJP, and NCP.