Ranchi, Oct 26: A major controversy arose over comments made by Jharkhand Minister and Congress candidate for Jamtara, Irfan Ansari. Both the BJP and Congress on Saturday have filed complaints with the Election Commission, with the BJP accusing Ansari of using derogatory language against Sita Soren, the party’s candidate from Jamtara.
The Congress, in turn, has accused the BJP of misrepresenting Ansari’s statements. On October 24, after filing his nomination papers, Ansari allegedly made disparaging remarks about BJP candidate Sita Soren, calling her a “borrowed player” and “rejected,” while suggesting that the BJP “hijacks” such candidates. Following the viral spread of his comments, Sita Soren demanded an apology, accusing Ansari of crossing all bounds with his language.
She stated, “Candidate Irfan Ansari will have to apologize for the indecent language he used towards me in front of the media immediately after nomination. He has previously made personal remarks about me, but this time he has truly crossed all limits.”
BJP leaders, including state president and former Chief Minister Babulal Marandi, condemned Ansari’s remarks, further escalating the controversy.
In response to the growing uproar, Ansari claimed his words had been misrepresented, alleging that the video had been edited to create a misleading narrative. “An edited video has been circulated among the public. In the original video, I didn’t even mention Sita Soren’s name. This cropped version is meant to spread lies against me. This is BJP’s machination. After she joined the BJP, she has stooped to this level to mislead the people of Jamtara and tarnish my reputation,” he stated.
Ansari has threatened to file a defamation suit of Rs100 crore against the BJP and Sita Soren.
The BJP, led by Sudhir Srivastava, filed a formal complaint with the Chief Electoral Officer in Ranchi on Saturday, demanding Ansari’s expulsion from the state until the assembly elections, the cancellation of his nomination, and the registration of a criminal case. Shortly after, a Congress delegation, including Kishore Nath Shahdev, Rajesh Gupta, and Imran Ansari, submitted a letter to the Chief Electoral Officer, accusing the BJP of defamation and requesting appropriate action.
