Tribals are ‘biggest Hindus’, says Chhattisgarh Chief Minister; Baghel rebuts claims

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai and his predecessor and Congress chief Bhupesh Baghel have joined the talk over whether or not members of tribal communities had been practising Hindus. 

Whereas Mr. Sai, talking at a spiritual occasion on Sunday (April 20, 2025), asserted that tribals had been the largest Hindus, Mr. Bagel, rebutting the declare, stated the Chief Minister ought to learn the Structure.

Talking on the Dharma Raksha Mahayagya and Sanatan Sanskriti Sammelan in Raipur, the Chief Minister stated that within the tribal areas of the State, there was a tradition of worshiping symbols within the type of Hindu deities Shiva and Parvati. 

“…We the adivasis are the largest Hindus who not from in the present day however since historical occasions are worshipping [symbols] within the type of Mahadev and Parvati. Within the Gond [a tribe]-majority areas, they name [them] Gauri-Gaura, they are additionally Shiva-Parvati,” he stated.  

Responding to the assertion, Mr. Bagel stated that the Structure granted a particular standing to the tribals due to which they get the advantage of reservation [in public institutions and political representation]. 

“Vishnu Deo Saiji is busy calling the tribals Hindus, he ought to learn the Structure. The tribals have been given a separate standing within the Structure, if that standing is abolished then the reservation of the tribals will finish. So first resolve this, learn the Structure first after which give a press release,” he instructed presspersons on Monday.

He added that if the tribal neighborhood begins writing Hindu then they might cease getting reservation.

As per the 2011 census, the share of tribals in Chhatisgarh’s inhabitants was 30.62% with the inhabitants concentrated in Sarguja and Bastar areas of North and South Chhattisgarh respectively.