RAJ KUMAR
Ranchi, Feb.16; BJP legislature party chief and former chief minister Babulal Marandi today expressed his concern over communal riots in Panki area of Palamu district and held the Hemant Soren government responsible for the same.
Marandi said that since the Hemant government has assumed power it has started promoting a particular community for vote bank politics and missed no opportunity to hurt sentiment of the majority to save his votes.
He said that despite a series of riots in Lohardaga, Simdega, Ranchi and other places, the government has not come out with any report so far explaining the reason behind the riot and groups involved in it.
By doing so, he said, the government has helped boost the morale of communal forces. He said the assembly committee, which was constituted after a controversy on providing separate room for offering Namaz in assembly premises, is yet to come out with its report.
He said sometimes the government orders to reduce the size of the idol of Goddess Durga and sometimes it changes the route of traditional Shivratri procession in Deoghar but when times come to take action against those who cut innocent girls into pieces and burn them alive, it maintains silence.
Marandi said a particular community made an unsuccessful attempt to displace one Dalit community in Jamtara while made a successful attempt to displace another Dalit community in Palamu but the government is maintaining silence on the issue.
Expressing his dissatisfaction with the performance of the government, the former chief minister said that the government is expected to work under a law and explained when he had worked in the critical situation.
He said when he was in power, he presented an example of governance by ensuring encroachment free roads when time came for celebration of Id and Durga Puja together.
He said he had ensured encroachment-free roads by requesting the Puja organizers to erect their pandals away from roads and directing Id organizers not to set up Id Market on the main road.
