Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday claimed that demographic change in Jharkhand has seen the percentage of the ‘Adivasi’ (tribal) population declining during the Hemant Soren government’s tenure in the state.
Addressing the BJP’s ‘Vijay Sankalp Maha Rally’ here, the senior party leader alleged that the population of Adivasis has "declined" from 35 per cent to 24 per cent due to "massive infiltration", which has been "encouraged by the Hemant Soren government for vote bank politics".
He accused infiltrators of grabbing land in the state. “Hemant Babu is not only indulging in corruption but is instrumental behind demographic changes...Infiltrators are coming here ...the numbers of Adivasis and tribals are reducing. Infiltrators are grabbing Adivasi land...They are committing atrocities on tribal girls. Hemant Soren is encouraging it for vote bank politics," Shah alleged.
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He said the tribal population was "on decrease" in Sahibganj, Pakur, Godda, Dumka and Jamtara and alleged that Soren has "no courage" to speak against it due to "vote bank politics and Congress pressure".
"BJP will not allow the change in demography," Shah said.
Hitting out at the JMM-led coalition in the state, the BJP leader said, "The Hemant Soren government is the most corrupt in the country.... Resources are being looted using railway wagons and tractors. People will unseat this government from power in the state as it failed to fulfil the aspirations of development for which the separate state was created."
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Shah said the saffron party will win all 14 Lok Sabha seats in the state in the elections next year.
The Union home minister said that Jharkhand's Jamtara and Deoghar have become the hub of cybercrime and the Centre tried to help Jharkhand in checking it.
Referring to the killing of a class 12 student, who was burnt alive by her stalker in Dumka last year, Shah said, “Adivasi girls are being murdered while the Hemant Soren government is indulging in politics of appeasement.”
He also referred to the murder of a particularly vulnerable tribal group woman in Sahibganj in December last year.
Shah highlighted development projects undertaken by the Centre in Jharkhand, such as AIIMS and airport at Deoghar, besides free Covid-19 vaccine to people.
He also alleged that the JMM-led government was only involved in "loot and corruption".
Shah claimed that it was "the Centre which made Budha Pahad and Lohardaga areas free from Naxalites by operations 'Octopus' and 'Double Bull' etc".
He also said the budget presented by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will usher in development of tribal areas and 38,000 teachers would be appointed for 740 'Eklavya Model' schools.
Shah's visit is considered crucial in Santhal Paraganas as it is being viewed as the campaign for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
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Santhal Paraganas is touted as a "stronghold" of the ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) alliance, which had bagged 14 out of 18 assembly seats spread across six districts.
Shah had visited Chaibasa in January and called upon the Hemant Soren government to stop infiltrators from other countries, who, he said, were "out to grab land in Jharkhand by marrying tribal women".
Claiming that “corruption has peaked” under the JMM-led dispensation in the state, Shah had said that the state government “handed over Adivasi land to infiltrators”.
The saffron party, in alliance with AJSU Party, had bagged 12 of the 14 Lok Sabha seats in the state in the 2019 polls, while the Congress and the JMM secured one each.
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-With PTI Input
