RAJ KUMAR
Ranchi, Jan.6: The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) today asked Union Home Minister Amit Shah to clear his government’s and his party’s stand on the issue of the provision of the Sarna religion code in census form, inclusion of 1932 Khatiyan-based domicile policy and 27 per cent reservation for OBCs in the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution.
JMM senior leader Supriyo Bhattacharya, while addressing a press conference, a few hours before the arrival of Shah in Jharkhand for his scheduled Wast Singhbhum visit also attacked BJP and the party-led union government for complicating the issue of Sammed Shikharji.
“The step the BJP-led union government had taken yesterday could have been taken in 2019 itself. Though the union government has taken the right step now, its intention is doubtful as it has not withdrawn the notification declaring the religious place of the Jain community as a tourist destination so far,” Bhattacharya said.
JMM’s Lobin Hembrom claimed tribal rights over Parasnath Hills saying it is a tribal religious place.
Giving his clarification on the matter, Bhattacharya said, “Tribals regard each mountain as their God as they worship nature….As far as Lobin Da’s claim is concerned it might be his personal opinion.”
On the occasion, Bhattacharya mocked Shah for his arrival a day before his scheduled Wast Singhbhum visit.
Quoting a BJP leader, Bhattacharya said the union minister and a BJP leader had landed in Jharkhand’s capital a day before his programme in Wast Singhbhum to ensure the proper presence of people in his programme.
“During the assembly election in 2019 when he reached Chakradharpur on December 2, hardly 250 workers assembled in his programme and this resulted in the defeat of BJP in all assembly seats in Kolhan region. Taking a lesson from this, he has reached a day before to ensure people turn up in good numbers in his programme,” Bhattacharya said.
