Ranchi: Chief Minister Hemant Soren criticised the BJP for undermining the rights of tribals and backward classes in the state. Addressing an election rally in the Boodakhukhra Maidan of Mandar on Saturday in support of Congress candidate Shilpi Neha Tirki, Soren recalled that Jharkhand’s first Chief Minister had reduced the OBC reservation from 27% to just 14%, calling it a setback for the community.
He also pointed out that the BJP has been working to suppress leaders like Bandhu Tirki, who speak out for the rights of tribals and indigenous people, by preventing them from contesting elections.
Soren went on to say that the BJP’s tactics involve intimidating and threatening tribals, but he stressed that the spirit of Jharkhand’s indigenous people is unyielding. “In Jharkhand, one side has a massive military force, but on the other side, the poor, Dalits, indigenous people, and tribals are standing firm to fight for their dignity and rights,” he said.
Taking a dig at Assam Chief Minister, Soren remarked that he has been “touring Jharkhand for the past year,” insinuating that he may have been sent with the mission to destabilize the Jharkhand government. He questioned why neither Prime Minister Modi nor Home Minister Amit Shah have spoken out about the situation of indigenous women in Assam.
Soren also discussed various welfare schemes introduced by the state government, including the Maiya Samman Yojana, electricity bill waiver scheme, and KCC loan waiver program. He assured the people that the alliance government has always fought for the rights of tribals and indigenous people, both on the streets and in the legislative assembly, and will continue to do so.