Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge and Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren reiterated their government’s resolve on the 1932 land survey, increasing reservation for tribals, Dalits and OBCs.
Jointly briefing media on Tuesday evening in Ranchi, Kharge said that the guarantees of the INDIA bloc are not a “jumla” but were based “on their commitments for the poor and achievements during rule in the state.”
Reading out the guarantees, Hemant claimed that their government would frame a local (domicile) policy based on the 1932 khatian (land survey) and again send a resolution passed by the Assembly to the Centre for a separate Sarna Dharma code for tribals in the census.
The other guarantees include increasing the monthly amount of Maiyan Samman Yojana (financial assistance for women between 18 and 50 years) from the existing ₹1,000 to ₹2,500; increasing reservation of tribals, Dalits and OBC; ration distribution of 7kg per person (instead of existing 5kg) under food security; employment and health guarantee promising 10 lakh jobs to youths and ₹15 lakh health insurance for poor; guarantee for education; increasing minimum support price of farmers to ₹3,000 (from existing ₹2,400); and increasing MSP for forest products by 50per cent.
Hemant also accused the paramilitary forces, deployed on the orders of the Election Commission, of trying to intimidate tribals in Simdega.
“It has come to my notice that yesterday (Monday) night a jawan of a paramilitary force came out from his camp in Simdega and fired indiscriminately in the air from his service AK-47. The locals have lodged an FIR and the Election Commission must take immediate cognisance of it,” alleged Hemant.
He also accused the poll body of “turning a blind eye” to the series of “hate speeches” given by BJP senior leaders from other states at election rallies across Jharkhand in the run-up to the two-phase Assembly polls scheduled on November 13 and 20.
Addressing a rally in Mandu constituency, Kharge took a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s claims of being sensitive towards tribals, SCs and OBCs.
“In 2022, the Hemant Soren government had sent a proposal to the Centre to increase the reservation of SC/STs. Since then the proposal has been lying in the Raj Bhavan. If Modi is a well-wisher of SC/STs, then why doesn’t he increase the OBC reservation from 14 per cent to 27 per cent?” Kharge asked.
The state had sent a proposal to increase the reservation of OBCs from 14 to 27 per cent, SCs from 10 to 12 per cent and STs from 26 to 28 per cent. The proposal has not been approved yet.
Kharge also challenged the Prime Minister for a one-to-one debate on his statements in Bangalore.
“I am willing to give accounts of the schemes which were fulfilled by the Congress government in Karnataka. But Modiji who is jhooto ka sardar (head of liars) is spreading lies that Kharge has said that the Congress’s condition is bad because of the absurd schemes it has implemented,” said Kharge.
Addressing a rally at Ratu in Ranchi, Union defence minister Rajnath Singh compared the BJP to a powerful rocket that will take Jharkhand to new heights of progress while the JMM-Congress-RJD coalition is “fused crackers”.
Singh said that after the formation of the state, the BJP gave several chief ministers — Babulal Marandi, Arjun Munda and Raghubar Das — and none of them had to go behind bars and were not accused of anywrongdoing.
Addressing rallies in Jamshedpur and Koderma, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday repeated his statements of calling upon the majority Hindu community to stay united and said “Whenever there is division, we are ruthlessly cut off. Ek rahiye, nek rahiye (stay united, stay noble). If the JMM-Congress government comes to power it will be difficult to blow the conch or ring the bell andperform pujas.”
He also appealed for electing a BJP government so that “mafias can be bulldozed as has happened in UP”.
