Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said the ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) formed an electoral alliance with the RJD and the Congress which had strongly opposed the formation of a separate Jharkhand and looted its natural resources during their governments.
Addressing a BJP election rally at Singhbhum in Jharkhand, he said the state’s natural resources belonged to its people, but the JMM and the Congress treated them as their property and indulged in their open loot. There has been a big liquor scam under the JMM government. Minerals and sand have been looted by illegal mining, and all party leaders including the former Chief Minister are involved, he said.
After looting the tribals’ lands, they have targeted the Army’s land also, the Prime Minister said. The Congress and the JMM have hurt the self-esteem of the State, he said. “I ask you, will you pardon those looting the State,” he said.
Mr Modi said there is a big race between the Congress and the JMM for loot and corruption. At the residence of a Congress MP, over Rs 300 crore were recovered in cash, he said. Machines were called from banks to count the notes, and they appeared to fail.
“To whom the money really belonged? This money and wealth really belongs to the poor, kisan, adivasi and workers. This is a loot of your money,” the Prime Minister said.
“After this, how can the JMM and Congress seek your vote? They have been caught for crimes, but are not ashamed. Why do they want to form a government in Delhi, for the future of the youth? No, they want to form a government in Delhi to continue their loot unchecked all over the country. They have done nothing else before 2014 also,” Mr Modi said.
The Prime Minister said while the BJP under late Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee formed the State of Jharkhand and gave a push to its development, the Congress is planning to commit a “dacoity on your property.” The Congress says if it comes to power, it will conduct surveys on property of people. “They oppose survey of property of thieves, but want to survey property of ordinary citizens, including silver, gold, streedhan, farms etc,” the Prime Minister said.
“They want to tell you there will be a limit on the property you can keep. Five acres out of your 10 acres can be taken. They want to deprive you of your property and give it to its vote-bank who are talking of Vote Jihad,” the Prime Minister said. The Congress says the first claim on the nation’s property is of minorities, meaning Muslims, he said, but “Modi says it is of the Dalit, adivasis, poor and women.”
He said the Congress wants to commit a “dacoity” on the reservation share of the Dalits, Adivasis and the OBCs. Actually, they are angry that the BJP has the largest number of MPs and MLAs from adivasis and Dalits.
“They are so angry with this that they want to teach a lesson to the Dalits, adivasis and OBCs and deprive their reservation share given to them by the Constitution and Ambedkar; and then give it to the Muslims on the basis of reservation of religion,” he said.
“Should we allow them to do so, should we allow this mess up with the Constitution, the RJD leaders of Bihar and Congress leaders talk of the Constitution but really want to violate it,” he said.
Mr Modi said the Congress government of Karnataka overnight declared all Muslims backwards, whether they were rich or educated, and included them in the 27 per cent reservation share of the OBCs. They want to enforce this model now all over the country, he said.
“Let the JMM and the Congress and RJD hear, as long as Modi is alive, you will not be able to loot the reservation of the OBCs, STs, SCs’ reservation. I give you guarantee, BJP gives you guarantee, no power on earth can touch our Constitution and the reservation given to you by Babasaheb Ambedkar,” the Prime Minister said. He said he had asked the Congress to give it in writing that they would not touch the OBCs’ quota, but there was no response from the party.
He said the Congress, JMM and their allies will do anything for their vote bank. In Jharkhand, they are giving shelter to infiltrators, who are occupying the tribals’ land. “As a result, in Santhal-Pargana region, the share of the adivasis in population is coming down, they have done this in Bengal also,” he said.
“In Bengal adivasis are suffering terrorism because of this. They want to create similar conditions in Jharkhand also. The JMM is doing this for vote bank,” Mr Modi said.