Chennai , May 30 (BPNS)

AIADMK leader and former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, O. Panneerselvam (OPS) has criticized the

State government over non-inclusion of Badaga community in the Scheduled Tribe (ST) list.

OPS in a statement on Monday said that the state forest minister K. Ramachandran has ruled out the possibility of including the Badaga community in ST list which was unfortunate.

He said that the DMK had given assurance during the election campaign of 2021 that the community would be included in the ST list and added that former Chief Minister and AIADMK leader , late Jayalalithaa had demanded that the community be included in ST list.

The AIADMK leader in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that Badagas were classified as a tribe as per the 1931 census and added that after independence they were removed from the list for ‘ unknown reasons ‘. OPS also requested the Prime Minister to issue necessary instructions to the concerned ministry for the inclusion of the community in the ST list .