RAIPUR: Chhattisgarh’s first chief minister Ajit Jogi, who launched the Janata Con¬gress Chhattisgarh last year to challenge the state’s ruling B.J.P. and the principal-opposition Congress, suf¬fered a setback with the administration voiding his S.T. status.
The decision to cancel the related certificate – issued by the Tehsildar, Pendra Road – was taken by Bilaspur’s Collector P. Dayanand on July 3 on the basis of a recommendation by a com¬mittee constituted following a Supreme Court directive to examine the authen¬ticity of 71-year-old Jogi’s caste as the matter was pending with the judiciary since the state’s formation.
Following the cancellation, Na¬tional Commission for Scheduled Tribes Chairman N.K. Sai, who is also a petitioner, demanded registering of a F.I.R. against Mr. Jogi for obtain¬ing the certificate on the basis of “fake” documents. He further urged action against Mr. Jogi and his leg¬islator son Amit for having enjoyed government facilities while claiming tribal status.
Wheelchair-bound Jogi rejected the Committee’s report as politically moti¬vated.
Rejecting the allegation, Chief Minis¬ter Raman Singh averred, “The Com¬mittee was set up following an apex court directive. The state government has nothing to do with the report.”
Mr. Jogi, a former C.W.C. member, was also chairman of the party’s S.C. Depart¬ment and Adivasi Congress for years.
Despite being confined to a wheel¬chair for the past 12 years, Mr. Jogi en¬joys considerable clout among the dalit and the adivasi communities besides posing a challenge to the Congress and his bête noire Bhupesh Baghel who is the party’s state chief.
Meanwhile, Mr. Baghel also demand¬ed registering of a F.I.R. against Mr. Jogi and a decision on Mr. Amit’s status. The saffron party’s state head D. Kaushik said that the Jogis and Congress Presi¬dent Sonia Gandhi should publicly apologise.