CM Sai Hails President's Visit to Bastar Dussehra
President Droupadi Murmu set out from Raipur Airport for Jagdalpur to participate in the Dussehra festival, marking an important event for Chhattisgarh. Joining her on the journey were Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, Home Minister Vijay Sharma and Agriculture Minister Ramvichar Netam.
The President will attend the Muriya Darbar at Sirhasar Bhawan and later address a gathering at Lala Bagh.
Welcoming the development, Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai said the occasion was historic for the state. He explained that Bastar hosts the world's longest Dussehra celebration, spanning 75 days, which includes the Muriya Darbar. He stated that this could be the first time a President of India is joining the Muriya Darbar. Sai added that he was extending a warm welcome and felicitations to the President on behalf of Chhattisgarh's three crore citizens.
Turning to politics, the Chief Minister attacked the Congress party, saying it had repeatedly used tribal communities as a vote bank and that tribal society has now moved away from it. He credited the double-engine government with successfully eliminating Naxalism from the Bastar area. Sai also referred to the Centre's separate Ministry of Tribal Affairs and several authorities formed in the state to boost tribal welfare. He challenged the Congress to explain its record for tribal communities during its rule.
On Thursday, President Murmu had spoken at the 'Seva Samman Parv evam Yuva Prabodhan' programme held on the occasion of Nuakhai at the Sardar Balbir Singh Juneja Indoor Stadium in Raipur. She urged the youth to think big, widen their perspectives and connect personal success with service to society and the nation.
Extending Nuakhai greetings, she had said the celebration represents not only culture but also the state's time-honoured traditions, mutual goodwill and social unity. Such occasions, she noted, allow people to stay connected to their roots, take pride in their cultural legacy and transmit Indian values to future generations.