Udaipur- In Southern Rajasthan, political differences between the BJP and the Bharat Adivasi Party (BAP) have escalated over a man-eating leopard that has been terrorizing the tribal populace in Udaipur's Saira and Gogunda regions. The issue, which has already claimed nine lives, has now become a political flashpoint, with both parties engaging in a war of words on social media.

The leopard, responsible for seven deaths in Gogunda and two more in Jhadol, has evaded capture for over 23 days despite a massive search operation. The forest department, which has deployed CCTV cameras, has yet to capture the animal on footage and continues to rely on tracking pugmarks. Frustration is growing, not just among the affected tribal communities but also in the political landscape.

On Tuesday night, Udaipur MP Mannalal Rawat from the BJP shared a controversial post on Facebook, hinting that the BAP could be involved in the leopard's presence in the region. In his post, Rawat asked, "Did BAP release these leopards in the jungles of Gogunda-Saira?"

This comment was in response to earlier allegations made by BAP workers, who claimed that leopards were deliberately brought into tribal areas as part of a conspiracy to drive out the tribal population. Rawat, while addressing the post, clarified, "BAP members have been aggressively attacking the BJP on social media, accusing us of releasing leopards to displace tribals. I merely posed a question to the public—what if it’s their own conspiracy?"

Rawat further defended his actions, stating, "As soon as the leopard attacks began, I personally visited the region, held meetings with officials, and ensured relief and compensation for the victims."

However, BAP MP Rajkumar Roat, representing the Banswara-Dungarpur Lok Sabha constituency, hit back at Rawat's remarks. In a video statement, Roat criticized the BJP MP, saying, " Mannalal Rawat has been blaming everything on BAP. If it didn't rain, it was because of BAP, and when it rained, he said crops were getting damaged because of BAP. It’s highly unethical for the BJP MP to stoop to such a level and politicize a serious matter where so many tribal people have lost their lives, been injured, and cattle have been killed by the man-eater," Roat said. He further added, "Rawat's mental state has deteriorated to the point where if he catches a fever, he will blame BAP for it. While the man-eating leopard continues to claim lives, BJP leaders are busy playing dirty politics instead of fulfilling their responsibilities."

Roat also pointed out that 16 BAP workers, who were helping raise awareness about the leopard threat, had been falsely accused and charged for staging a peaceful protest on a small road to alert the administration. "Instead of addressing the real issues, the BJP has resorted to targeting even those working for the safety of the tribals," he added.

As the verbal duel between MPs Rawat and Rot intensifies, the issue has further heated up the political atmosphere in the tribal-dominated regions of Udaipur.