SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, Sept 25: Brushing aside the opposition of Chief Minister Hemant Soren, Congress Jharkhand president Rajesh Thakur on Saturday said that his party would go to any extent for inclusion of Bhojpuri, Magahi and Angika in the regional language list of the state.
While talking to the media, Thakur said that there is no dispute over the inclusion of Bhojpuri, Magahi and Angika in the regional language of Jharkhand among coalition partners of the state government. “Our party is committed to include Bhojpuri, Magahi and Angika in Jharkhand’s regional language list soon. Congress party is in government and the state government has to take decisions over listing regional languages. So these three languages would be listed as regional languages soon,” he said.
He denied that the CM is against inclusion of Bhojpuri and Magahi languages as regional languages of the state. “Congress has its own stand on regional language and the CM has his own. But due to it being a coalition government, both would agree at one place soon,” he said.
CM Soren had earlier denied giving Bhojpuri and Magahi as regional language status in Jharkhand saying that these languages have been borrowed from Bihar and had no role in a separate Jharkhand state agitation. Congress leaders in the state have been on an agitation path since then for inclusion of Bhojpuri as regional language status.
Earlier, the Congress state president reached Dhanbad in the afternoon. The District Congress Committee gave him a rousing reception. Party workers welcomed him at Putki, Kendua and Karkenda as he entered Dhanbad. It was Thakur’s maiden visit after becoming the state president. A fleet of bikes was escorting him as he entered the district from Bokaro.
In the main function at the Blessing Hall at Bekarbandh, Health minister Banna Gupta, Agriculture minister Badal Patralekh, State Working President Jaleswar Mahto, Shahjada Anwar, Bandhu Tirky, MP Geeta Koda, MLA Purnima Singh were present. Dhanbad Congress District President Brajendra Prasad Singh, working president Ravindra Verma, senior Congress leader Vijay Kumar Singh and Ranvijay Singh welcomed him,
On the occasion Congress state president Thakur criticized policies of Narendra Modi government for letting inflation increase in the country. “People of Dhanbad have been associated with Congress for a long time and the party would regain its pride in the coal belt soon”, he said.
