Ranchi: Leader of Opposition Babulal Marandi has accused the state government of discrimination in safeguarding religious places, alleging that tribal sacred sites such as Sarna, Masna, Hadgari and Jaherthan face repeated encroachments and attacks while the administration remains indifferent.
Marandi criticised the state for holding meetings with Christian religious leaders in Simdega to discuss church security, calling it a one-sided move. He questioned why only churches were being prioritised and alleged that it appeared to be an attempt to protect groups involved in religious conversions.
He claimed that nearly 51 percent of Simdega’s population has already converted to Christianity and accused conversion groups of misleading tribal communities through so-called “healing gatherings.”
Marandi urged the chief minister to extend protection to all places of worship, including Sarna, Masna, Hadgari sites, Jaherthan, Manjhi Than, temples, mosques and gurdwaras, not just churches. He demanded that the agenda of the Simdega meeting be made public or representatives of all faiths invited to discuss security measures for their religious sites.
Marandi has also accused the state government of allowing corruption to thrive in the land mutation process. He alleged that even after data from the Jharbhumi portal was transferred to the state data centre, each application still takes 15 to 20 minutes to open, which he claimed was a result of deliberate manipulation by officials.
Marandi said nearly 18,000 mutation cases are pending in Ranchi district alone. According to him, the delays are not caused by slow internet but by bribery involving circle officers and clerks. He urged the chief minister to introduce new rules allowing ancestral land to be partitioned not only among family members but also among other eligible claimants. He argued that such a policy would legitimise unaccounted wealth and spare ordinary people repeated visits to revenue offices.