SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, July 27: The district Congress leaders would sit on an indefinite hunger strike at the party’s state headquarter office in Ranchi from August 21 for unlocking of Dhanbad party office, which has been closed for 12 years.
Senior Congress leader cum INTUC national organizational secretary Suresh Chandra Jha announcing the indefinite hunger strike said that the Dhanbad Congress office was sealed under a conspiracy in 2011 in the name of a land dispute but even after 12 years, it has not been opened.
“At present, the Congress is a coalition partner in the government. Party members question if not now when would the government initiate steps for opening the party office. Much water has flown in the Damodar River in 12 years. The patience of the Cong leaders has run out. So, if the Dhanbad office is not opened, the district Congress men would begin an indefinite hunger strike at the Ranchi state Congress head office from August 21,” said Jha.
The senior Congress leader alleged that the BJP government under a calculated conspiracy got the Congress’ Dhanbad office sealed through the District Board. The land belongs to Congress Party. In 1958, the then Bihar government had given 1.5-acre land to the Cong Party on lease for the party office.
In 2011, the Jharkhand High Court sealed several offices, including the IMA on the complaint of the District Board.
Suresh Chandra Jha said that during an indefinite hunger strike at Ranchi if any untoward incidents happen, Jharkhand Congress in-charge Avinash Pandey, Congress legislative party leader and rural development minister Alamgir Alam and state president Rajesh Thakur would be responsible.
Since the new district Congress president, Santosh Singh has assumed charge, momentum for unlocking party office has been intensified. Santosh Singh along with other senior leaders has been holding a dharna at the headquarters as well as block offices of the district regularly.
Even Health Minister Banna Gupta, who is the party in-charge of the Dhanbad district, had announced to open it sooner than later but no action has been taken at the state headquarter level in this regard.
Senior Congress leader Shashibhushan Tiwary, Nagendra Singh, Md Ammirullah, Parmanand Singh, Nishikant Mishra, Mantosh Yadav, Shivkant Pandey, Babloo Das, Jitendra Mishra and Sudama Bhandari were also present on the occasion.
