Shimla, Jun 7 (IANS): The Bhim Army staged a protest in Shimla on Monday against giving tribal area status to Giripar in Sirmaur district of Himachal Pradesh, and warned of an agitation against tribal status (ST) for the backward Hatti community. Reacting to the issue, the Hatti Committee called it a tactic of the Bhim Army to gain political mileage by misleading the people.

During a press conference in Shimla on Tuesday, the central Hatti Committee said that soon the Hatti community is going to get tribal status. It will be announced soon. They said that some anti-social elements are trying to spoil the atmosphere. "Such people have nothing to do with Sirmaur. The Hatti community includes people from all walks of life," they added.

The central Hatti Committee said that there will be no change in the SC/ST Act after Hatti gets tribal status. They said that their demand should be fulfilled soon, the people of Hatti community have changed the nature of the movement and have not ended it, which can flare up again if need be.