Congress accuses Tribal Affairs Ministry of abdicating responsibility due to ‘Modani’ pressure
The Congress party has accused the Union Tribal Affairs Ministry of abdicating its responsibility to protect tribal rights under the Forest Rights Act. The party alleges the Ministry is bowing to pressure from mining interests and the Adani conglomerate by claiming it has no role in Gram Sabha consent for forest land diversion.
Why it matters
This highlights a significant conflict between industrial development projects and the legal protections afforded to indigenous communities regarding land rights.
Slamming the Tribal Affairs Ministry’s recent assertion that the Forest Rights Act “has no provision” for seeking Gram Sabha consent while diverting forest land for non-forest purposes, the Congress on Tuesday (September 8, 2026) asked if the Centre was “under pressure from the Modani conglomerate” and other mining interests, in a reference to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Adani group.
Rajya Sabha MP and Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said that this “shocking stance” of the Tribal Affairs Ministry reflected a “serious misunderstanding of the law and an abdication of the Ministry’s statutory responsibility”. Mr. Ramesh added that this position contradicted the Ministry’s own earlier guidelines and communications and the procedure currently in place to divert forest land.
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