Union home minister Amit Shah on Saturday launched the BJP’s campaign for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in Jharkhand from Chaibasa in West Singhbhum, harping on ghuspetiye (infiltrators) and corruption, but preferred to remain silent on Sarna religion code, 27 per cent OBC reservation and Parasnath Hills.

The home minister, who reached Chaibasa from the state capital Ranchi by a copter around 12.45pm on Saturday, during his 20-minute speech uttered the terms ghuspetiye (a term denoted by BJP leaders in Jharkhand for the minority community in Santhal Pargana region branding them infiltrators from Bangladesh) and corruption at least five times to attack the Hemant Soren-led government in the state.

“The chief minister is a tribal but has failed to protect tribal women from ghuspetiye. Loot and corruption are at their peak. Hemant Bhai, kan khol kar sun lo, Jharkhand ka tribal maaf nahi karega aur uska trailer 2024 main malum chal jayega (Brother Hemant open your ears and listen, the tribals of Jharkhand will not forgive you if you play with their sentiments. You will see its trailer in 2024,” Shah said during the Vijay Sankalp Maharally.

“The Hemant Soren government must check infiltrators who are out to grab land by marrying tribal women,” Shah added.

He also blamed the JMMCongress-RJD government for indulging in “looting” mineral resources and “betraying” tribals in the name of ‘khatiyan’.

“The last land settlement in Singhbhum was conducted in 1964 and he (Hemant Soren) announced to give jobs on the basis of 1932 land records. Instead of doing it, increase the number of jobs and if you can’t do it, vacate the seat of power...,” Shah said.

Jharkhand Congress spokesperson Rakesh Kumar Sinha, however, termed the home minister’s statements as those given out of frustration.

“Shah himself admitted that 32,000 seats were filled in the venue. But photographs show that seats were vacant. It is shocking to find a Union home minister lecturing a state government about infiltrators. If they are infiltrators, then it is the failure of the home ministry. The chief minister has said that though 1932 land records would be the basis for identifying domiciles, even land settlements done in various divisions after being certified by village gram sabhas would also be accepted. The home minister knew from the crowd about their party prospects in the coming elections and made such statements out of frustration to divide tribals and minorities,” said Sinha.

“It would have been better if the Home minister had spoken on Centre’s stand on Sarna religion code, OBC reservation and Parasnath Hills,” added Sinha.