Bharuch: Gujarat BJP MP and former Union minister Mansukh Vasava, who has been vocal on tribal issues, quit the party on Tuesday and said he would resign from Lok Sabha in the budget session of parliament.

Vasava had written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi last week seeking withdrawal of a Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change notification declaring 121 villages of Narmada district as eco sensitive zone.

Indian Express has reported that the letter voiced concerns of the area's tribal population.

“In the name of the notification of the MoEFCC, government officials have begun interfering in the private properties of the tribals. The local tribals in Narmada have not been taken into confidence or given the understanding of the issue, which has created fear and mistrust among them. The locals are preparing for protests and some opposition parties are leveraging on the lack of communication between the government and the locals, inciting them against the government,” the MP stated.

The report says that while Vasava has not made it clear as to why he is seeking to quite BJP, the decision could have been spurred by his move to support the opposition to the notification.

Also read: Gujarat: Sardar Sarovar Dam, Statue of Unity Made Tadvi Adivasis Encroachers on their Own Lands

A six-term MP from Bharuch, Vasava in his letter to Gujarat BJP President C.R. Paatil said, "I am resigning so that the image of the party is not damaged because of my mistakes. I have been a loyal worker of the party, so please forgive me."

In the letter to Paatil dated December 28, Vasava said he will resign as Bharuch MP after meeting the Lok Sabha Speaker during the budget session of Parliament.

Vasava said he tried his best to be loyal to the party and assimilate the party's values in his life, adding he is human and prone to mistakes. "I am ultimately a human and humans tend to commit mistakes. To ensure that the party does not suffer due to my mistakes, I resign from the party, whose forgiveness I seek," the tribal leader said in the letter to Paatil.

BJP state spokesperson Bharat Pandya said the party has received the resignation letter through social media.

"Paatil has spoken to him and assured him that any issue he has will be resolved. Vasava is a senior MP from Gujarat and we will resolve all his issues," Pandya said.

(With PTI inputs)

The Wire is now on WhatsApp. Follow our channel for sharp analysis and opinions on the latest developments.