BJP MP unfurls white tribal flag at Ambagarh fort amid tension

Jaipur, Aug 01 (PTI):
BJP MP Kirori Meena unfurled a white tribal flag on the wall of the Ambagarh fort early Sunday by hoodwinking the heavy police force deployed around the fort, a centre of dispute between the members of the Meena community and Hindutva organisations.
The flag was unfurled at a parapet in the rear side of the fort, where the tribal leader along with around a dozen supporters reached while walking on the hilly terrain during rainfall on Sunday.
However, police claimed that Meena could not enter inside the fort and placed the flag on a parapet.
Police officials said they took the Rajya Sabha MP to Vidhyadhar Nagar police station to hold a dialogue with him, where Meena raised certain demands, including permission to the tribal people for worshipping in Shiv temple located inside the fort, which is under the forest department. “The MP was neither detained nor arrested. Dialogues with him were held on the issue during which he has made certain demands,” Additional Police Commissioner Rahul Prakash said. After he was taken by police from the fort, Meena, however, tweeted claiming that he was arrested. “I have been arrested from the Ambagarh fort,” he tweeted earlier in the day. After he came out of the police station, Meena told his supporters claiming that he unfurled the flag at the fort but he could not visit the Shiv temple because police had locked it.
He also released a video in which he said that as per his promise, he had unfurled the tribal flag at Ambagarh.
The tensions had escalated between the Meenas and Hindu organisations in June after a saffron flag atop the 18th century fort was removed by a group of youth of the Meena community, allegedly led by independent MLA Ramkesh Meena, who accused Hindu organisations of trying to tamper with the tribal culture.
Cross FIRs were lodged at the Transport Nagar police station on July 22 in this regard.
While members of the community accused Hindu organisations of tampering with its culture by placing a saffron flag atop the fort, Kirori Meena said the Meenas are Hindus and demanded action against Ramkesh Meena for trying to disturb harmony.