Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren said tribals will rule the state as it belonged to them.
Soren, also the JMM executive president, slammed the BJP, claiming that no Hindu is in danger in the state but the opposition party is only trying to create conflict with its Hindu-Muslim narratives.
"We fought for a separate Jharkhand state, and we will fight to secure our rights as well. Tribals will rule here as Jharkhand belonged to tribals," he said while addressing a public meeting at Chotanagra in West Singhbhum district on Tuesday.
According to the 2011 Census, Jharkhand has a total population of 32,988,134. Of them, 26.21 per cent (8,645,042) are tribals. Except for Raghubar Das, all chief ministers of the state, which was created in 2000, belonged to tribal communities.
Soren said that his government has functioned well with the support of the people and will continue to do so in the future.
"The BJP in connivance with CBI and ED have been intimidating me and even sent me to jail on false charges. But I am the son of the soil of Jharkhand. I am neither afraid nor ever bow," the chief minister claimed.
The Enforcement Directorate had arrested Soren on January 31 in a money laundering case linked to a land scam. He was released from jail after the high court granted him bail.
Alleging that the saffron party has threatened and intimidated his ministers and MLAs and applied all tricks to topple his government, the JMM leader claimed that the time is not far when BJP will not find a single person to carry its flag.
Taking a dig at the visit of BJP central leaders and chief ministers in Jharkhand for campaigning, Soren claimed none have gone to Maharashtra where also an election will be held.
"We are alone against many such leaders of this corporate-controlled central government. But we are not afraid," he added.
The opposition did not want to see indigenous people prosper, he alleged.
Elections to the 81-member Jharkhand Assembly are scheduled on November 13 and November 20, while votes will be counted on November 23.
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