Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA and tribal leader Chaitar Vasava on Tuesday raised anew the demand for a separate state of `Bhil Pradesh' for the tribal populations in Gujarat and the three neighbouring states.

Vasava, the first-time MLA from the Scheduled Tribes-reserved Dediapada Assembly seat in Gujarat’s Narmada district, said “history tells us that there was a separate state called Bhil Pradesh”.

“But after independence that state was divided and its parts were merged into different states such as Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra,” added the tribal leader earlier on Tuesday.

He asserted that these four states have 39 tribally predominate districts that together made up Bhil Pradesh.

According to Chaitar Vasava, these districts continue to fall under the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution (which contains laws relating to the administration and supervision of Scheduled Areas).

BJP MP and fellow tribal leader Mansukh Vasava, however, said that this will create "anarchy" and friction between the tribal communities and others.