Ranchi: After Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent two-day visit to Jharkhand, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) has criticized the visit, accusing the Prime Minister of disturbing state governance and using the opportunity for political campaigning in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.
During a press conference at the party office, Supriyo Bhattacharya, the JMM’s Central General Secretary and spokesperson, expressed dissatisfaction with the Prime Minister’s visit. Bhattacharya alleged that the deployment of agencies like CBI, IT, and ED has previously disrupted governance in the state, but now the Prime Minister himself is causing disturbance.
Bhattacharya claimed that despite President Draupadi Murmu’s consent to visit in the name of Tribal Day, the Prime Minister was initially not allowed. He accused Modi of diverting public attention from the state government’s milestone schemes and criticized him for choosing Khunti-Ulihatu, the land of Lord Birsa Munda, for election campaigning in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, all at the expense of the government and public funds.
According to Bhattacharya, Prime Minister Modi lacks genuine concern for tribal communities and their culture. He criticized Modi for not addressing tribal festivals and failing to make any announcements for the tribal society and people of Jharkhand during his visit.
The JMM spokesperson raised concerns about the amendment of the Forest Rights Act, accusing the government of preparing to encroach upon tribal lands. Bhattacharya questioned the sincerity of Modi’s commitment to tribal development, stating that entering forests without the consent of the tribal communities is contradictory to the purported goal of development.
Furthermore, Bhattacharya questioned the Governor’s speech at the State Foundation Day function, stating that it lacked mention of critical issues such as tribal religious code, OBC reservation, HEC, and Jharkhand’s national concerns. He suggested that the Governor, who hosted the Prime Minister overnight, should have conveyed these issues for a more comprehensive and meaningful speech.