Chief Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday handed out an ultimatum to the UPA government, warning that Gujarat would break the law, if tribals were not granted cultivation rights on forest land by October 2.
He declared this in his Independence Day speech at Mehsana. The chief minister asserted that the state was prepared to face the consequences of the decision.

The state would facilitate cultivation of forest land by tribals, if the Centre did not  grant them legal rights to cultivate the land by October 2, the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
He claimed that the decision to grant cultivation rights to 4,000 tribals and farmers on forest land had been pending since the past three years.

The announcement comes at a time when the Congress is making efforts to regain its tribal vote bank. The vote had swung the BJP way after communal riots in the state. It is likely that the Congress would be pushed to the backfoot with this move. 

‘My people back me’
The chief minister claimed that  5.5 crore Gujaratis backed his   efforts to combat elements rendering injustice to the state and hindering its development.

Mr Modi also cited several instances of injustice meted out by the Centre to Gujarat and flayed the “pseudo secularism” practised by many political parties.

He cautioned that the social fabric of the country would be damaged by such forces, rendering the efforts of freedom fighters waste.

The chief minister flayed the Centre for its “failure” to protect the cow.

He also hit out at the UPA government  for its policy of religion based reservations and failure to act against “forced conversions”.