Jharkhand chief minister Champai Soren said the state’s tribal population has come to understand that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s assurances are rife with falsehoods and deceit.

Speaking at an event in Bermo, Jharkhand, commemorating the first anniversary of the passing of former state education minister and JMM senior leader Jagarnath Mahato, Champai said: “Every tribal individual in Jharkhand comprehends the guarantees made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP. They offer nothing but lies, deceit and betrayal to the people.”

Champai, who assumed office as chief minister earlier this year following the arrest of former chief minister Hemant Soren by the Enforcement Directorate on January 31, highlighted the central government’s pledge to provide permanent housing to all homeless individuals by 2022.

“However,” Champai said, “the reality is that numerous homeless individuals in Jharkhand have been denied homes under the central government scheme. It’s simply a case of dishonesty and exploitation of innocent citizens. Our government under Hemant Soren’s leadership opted to provide larger and superior three-room houses to our homeless through the Abua Awas (our house) scheme.”

“We recognised the importance of education in the state’s progress and decided to establish model and smart schools in every block across the state,” Champai continued. “However, during the BJP-led double-engine government from 2014 to 2019, over 5,000 government schools were amalgamated and shuttered, depriving tribal students of fundamental education.”

Champai also said the BJP leaders consistently kept an eye on Jharkhand’s mineral resources. “BJP leaders deceived the public through falsehoods,” he said.

“Despite governing the state for the majority of its existence (since its formation in 2000), the condition of Jharkhand’s populace deteriorated. The indigenous people were consistently marginalised from development efforts.”

In tribute to Jagarnath Mahato, who passed away from a lung-related illness last year, Champai emphasised Mahato’s dedication to public welfare and continued advocacy for the people’s interests until his final moments.

“Our government has persevered through numerous challenges, including the Covid-19 outbreak,” Champai said. “However, the BJP hindered our governance efforts at every turn.”

He underscored the government’s focus on enhancing the education landscape in Jharkhand and decried Hemant Soren’s arrest by the ED without substantial evidence against him.

Meanwhile, Hemant Soren’s wife, Kalpana Soren, has initiated campaigning, with her candidacy for the Gandey by-election on a JMM ticket nearly confirmed during Friday’s JMM party meet in Ranchi. She is set to lead the party during the April 21 grand rally in Ranchi, which will feature leaders from the INDIA bloc. JMM sources said the rally would serve as a display of strength by INDIA bloc leaders, launching their campaign for the Lok Sabha elections across all 14 seats in Jharkhand.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the BJP secured 11 seats, with its ally AJSU winning one seat, while the Congress and the JMM each secured one seat.