Ranchi: Former Chief Minister Raghubar Das addressed media in Jamshedpur, condemning the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) for opposing the Waqf (Amendment) Bill in the Lok Sabha. He accused the JMM of revealing its “tribal-antagonistic” nature by voting against the bill, which he claimed would safeguard the interests of the tribal community in Jharkhand.
Raghubar Das emphasized that the amendment, once passed into law, would prevent Waqf property from being declared in tribal areas under the provisions of Schedule 5 and Schedule 6 of the Constitution. He argued that this provision would protect the indigenous culture and constitutional rights of the tribal people.
The former CM criticized JMM for aligning with the Congress on this issue, accusing the party of appeasing the Muslim community at the cost of tribal interests. He questioned the party’s commitment to protecting tribal rights, especially in the context of land preservation and indigenous culture.
Das further remarked that the recent incident during the Sarhul procession in Ranchi, where a tribal priest was attacked, was a direct result of Chief Minister Hemant Soren’s policies of appeasement. He urged the tribal community to “wake up” and recognize the reality, warning that JMM’s actions would harm the identity, culture, and heritage of the tribal people.
In a strong call to action, Raghubar Das appealed to the tribal society of Jharkhand to socially boycott all Members of Parliament from JMM and Congress who had voted in favour of Muslim appeasement in the Waqf (Amendment) Bill.