Deogaon: A day after the tribals staged protests over the seat reservation for them in the upcoming panchayat polls in Bolangir district, hundreds of tribal people, including women, took out a rally in Deogaon block of Tuesday.
Armed with their traditional weapons and beating drums, the protest rally converged outside the block office shouting slogans against the Odisha government.
Tribal leaders from Salepalli, Gouragotha, Badabahal, Gudapakhala and Mukundapur panchayats alleged that the Odisha government has done away with reservation of seats for the Scheduled Tribes in the upcoming panchayat polls. They said that reservation of seats for tribal people must be implemented once more.
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The leaders warned that they would not allow the panchayat elections to be held in their areas if seats were not reserved for the tribals. They also threatened to lock up all panchayat offices in the region in the days to come.