Indian political party Loktantra Bachao Abhiyan has claimed that in the first phase of Jharkhand elections, voters voted on issues of public interest and not politics of hatred and division. Members of the party told reporters in Dumka of the Santal Pargana region of the state that after speaking to the voters of 43 constituencies in the first phase of the Jharkhand Assembly elections held on November 13, they are mainly for water, forest, land conservation, Meinya Samman Yojana, social security pension, farm loan waiver and electricity bill waiver. Voted on issues of public interest.
The campaign statement said, 'BJP is seeking votes in the name of division and religion, not on the basis of tribal and local rights. They are silent on CNT-SPT Act, Sarna Dharma Code, Khatian-based Local Policy, Water-Land-Forest Rights and Minimum Supportive Price to Farmers. Rather, the issue of Bangladeshi infiltration is emphasizing religious polarization.'
The statement further said, 'The hypocrisy of BJP's campaign on Bangladeshi infiltration in Santal Parganas has been exposed. Because in the reply given by the Modi government in the High Court, it has been said that no involvement of Bangladeshi infiltrators was found in the Santal Pargana land dispute. These were local disputes. Even the team formed by the Election Commission (which included BJP members) did not find any evidence. The Modi government also said in Parliament that they have no information about Bangladeshi infiltrators.
Loktantra Bachao Abhiyan said that the struggle for water, forest, land was the main basis for the formation of Jharkhand state. In its election manifesto, the JMM promised to implement the 1932 Khatian-based local policy and abolish land banks. But BJP is completely silent on these issues. The BJP's manifesto did not say anything about Sarna Code.
On the other hand, the JMM and India Alliance are talking about the implementation of Sarna Code. But BJP state president Babulal Marandi is talking about Sarna-Sanatan unity. The said statement also revealed the communal game of Sarna-Christian divide that the BJP and RSS are playing among tribals.
The statement further said that the Jharkhand government proposed inclusion of Khatian-based Local Policy and Sarna Code in the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution, but the Center blocked it. Apart from this, the proposal to increase the reservation for backward classes to 27 percent is also stalled.
Note that the second phase of Jharkhand elections will be held on November 20.
