Ranchi: Political tensions have escalated in Ranchi’s HEC complex after former Congress MLA and party National Secretary Amba Prasad was evicted from her government-allotted residence, prompting her to launch a sit-in protest and accuse the Jharkhand government of targeting her for political reasons.
Following her eviction from government residence F-44 on Friday, Amba Prasad set up a tent outside the property on Saturday and began protesting against the administrative action.
On Sunday night, she performed a puja dedicated to Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Ganesha inside the tent, accompanied by family members and supporters. During the prayers, she sought divine intervention and appealed for the administration to be granted “wisdom (sadbuddhi)”.
Amba Prasad, who previously represented the Barkagaon Assembly constituency in Hazaribagh district, had been allotted the residence when she was a Congress MLA. Although she lost the 2024 Jharkhand Assembly election, she continued to occupy the premises until the administration carried out the eviction.
She maintained that her objection was not to vacating the government accommodation but to the manner in which the action was conducted. According to her, the authorities removed her from the premises in her absence, which she described as an insult to her dignity and self-respect.
The former legislator also alleged that several other former MLAs continued to occupy government residences in the same locality, but she was singled out for eviction.
Drawing a parallel with an earlier incident involving the deployment of a bulldozer at her ancestral property in Barkagaon, she alleged that her family had repeatedly faced political pressure.
Expressing disappointment with Chief Minister Hemant Soren, Amba Prasad said it was particularly painful to be left without a home just ahead of a major festival like Diwali, despite having supported the government during difficult times.
She reiterated that she could live anywhere and that the government accommodation itself was not the issue. Her primary concern, she said, was the manner in which the eviction was carried out.
The administration, however, has defended its action, stating that the eviction followed established procedures.
Magistrate Mohammad Zafar Hasnat, who supervised the operation, said the residence was originally allotted to Amba Prasad under the MLA quota but was subsequently transferred to an IAS officer last year.
According to the administration, several notices had been issued asking her to vacate the premises. A final notice was reportedly sent on November 2, with a copy also communicated through WhatsApp.
Officials said the administration proceeded with the eviction after receiving no response and finding that the accommodation had not been vacated within the prescribed deadline.
Amba Prasad, however, has firmly denied receiving any notice from the authorities, leaving the two sides at odds over the circumstances surrounding the eviction.
The incident has triggered a political controversy in Ranchi, with the former MLA’s protest bringing renewed attention to the allocation and occupation of government accommodation by former legislators.
-IANS