RAIPUR: The high-powered scrutiny committee constituted on the Chhattisgarh government’s direction to examine the legitimacy of Ajit Jogi’s caste has rejected the former chief minister’s claim of belonging to a tribal community.
The committee has rejected evidence produced by Ajit Jogi and the report will now be submitted to the High Court and the Supreme Court.
“I will challenge this in court. The decision of the committee is nothing but a political conspiracy. I belong to the Kanwar tribe,” said the 70-year-old bureaucrat-turned-politician.
On January 25, the Chhattisgarh high court had directed the state to constitute a high-power committee to examine Ajit Jogi’s caste authenticity and conclude the findings by May 31. The HC gave the order on a writ petition filed by former BJP MP Nand Kumar Sai who pointed out that Jogi had been claiming the tribal status through “forged” evidence.
Nand Kumar Sai cited that the Supreme Court had earlier directed the Chhattisgarh government on October 13, 2011 to form a special committee to decide upon the Ajit Jogi’s caste but the committee didn’t take any decision following which he filed a writ petition in the high court. An election petition by Sai had earlier questioned Jogi's caste claim.
“It’s not the high powered but the CM powered committee that has prepared a fictitious report,” Ajit Jogi asserted.
Chief minister Raman Singh however retorted saying, “The government has nothing to do with the decision of the committee which was constituted following the directive of the Supreme Court. Now the court will decide on it”, Singh said.
Meanwhile Ajit Jogi is seeking legal opinion to pursue the case and challenge the committee’s decision.