Responding to a notice over his "new law to shoot tribals" remark, Congress president Rahul Gandhi has told the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) that he made the comments in "free flow of a political speech", according to officials.
Addressing an election rally in Shahdol in Madhya Pradesh on April 23, Gandhi had alleged, "The Narendra Modi government has made a new law in which there is a line that says tribals can be shot at...They snatch your land, take away your jungle and water and then say that tribals can be shot at."
The proposed amendment to Section 66 (2) of the Act says: "Any forest officer, may if necessary, to prevent the commission of any offence under this Act or under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 or to apprehend any person engaged in the commission of an offence under the said Acts, or who has committed such offence, use as little force including fire arms and do as little injury to person and property, as may be consistent with the prevention of the offence; or the apprehension of the accused; or securing of the forest-produce..."