Richa Jogi, who has recently been embroiled in a caste certificate row, met Chhattisgarh Governor Anusuiya Uikey on Thursday to seek help in the matter.
The daughter-law of late Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Ajit Jogi was accompanied by her mother-in-law and MLA Dr Renu Jogi. Together, they urged the Governor to "exercise her powers" and extend help in the matter as she was also a woman and a tribal, said Renu outside the Raj Bhavan. The Congress party had recently urged Uikey to probe the caste certificate of Richa Jogi and cancel it.
Ahead of the Marwahi Assembly by-election scheduled for November this year, Richa was issued a show cause notice by the district caste certificate investigation committee over her caste credentials. Following a complaint lodged by Adivasi Vikas Parishad leader Sant Kumar Netam demanding the revocation of her case certificate, the committee asked Richa to furnish evidences to support her caste credentials failing which her certificate will be annulled.
Renu said Congress was attempting to deny the Jogi family a chance to contest from Marwahi in the upcoming bypolls. She added Congress should not field a candidate from Marwahi in the honour of deceased CM Jogi. She said there was "no point" in meeting Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel regarding the matter.
Richa has claimed that she receive any notice on her caste certificate and said the state government was trying to prevent her and her husband Janta Congress Chhattisgarh chief Amit Jogi from contesting in the bypoll. "It’s well known that my husband had received a favourable court order on caste row in the past, and that we are from a tribal family," she said.
Meanwhile, Richa's brother Rishabh Sadhu appeared before the Caste Certificate Investigation Committee in Mungeli district on Thursday and said no such notice was received, and he had only reached there on the basis of media reports. He was given time till October 12 to furnish necessary documents in favour of her sister's case by the committee led by the Additional Collector.
On the same day, members of Adivasi Vikas Parishad led by president Netam reached Raj Bavan and complained to the governor against Amit and Richa Jogi.
"The Jogis consider themselves above the law and keep contesting on reserved seat despite not being tribals," said Netam. He demanded legal action against Amit and Richa over "fake caste certificates".
Richa had secured a caste certificate from Mungeli in July this year.