India
Jharkhand govt asks EC to take action to stop Himanta, Shivraj from ‘fuelling communal tensions’ in state – Times of India
NEW DELHI: The Jharkhand The Mukti Morcha government has asked the Election Commission (EC) to direct Home Minister Amit Shah to prevent Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan from misusing official resources and stoking social tensions during their election campaign.
The Jharkhand government urged the EC to conduct an impartial inquiry into the actions of BJP leaders and protect the state bureaucracy from undue pressure.
The complaint was filed ahead of elections to the 81-member Jharkhand Assembly. The JMM coalition alleges that the BJP is trying to destabilise the state administration and intimidate local officials.
In a letter to the EC, Secretary General of the Cabinet Secretariat and the Jharkhand Civil Guard Department, Vandana Dadel, accused the BJP of using inflammatory rhetoric to sow division among the people, particularly targeting religious sentiments for political gains.
The state government highlighted previous cases of officials being relieved of election duties during the Lok Sabha elections, which it said contributed to a climate of fear and demoralisation among government officials. The letter also demanded that the EC take “strongest possible action” against political leaders interfering in the internal affairs of Jharkhand.
A major bone of contention was Sarma’s recent statements accusing the JMM-led coalition of facilitating Bengali infiltration into the state. The Jharkhand government warned that such claims were not only misleading but also had the potential to disrupt communal harmony and threaten internal security. The letter questioned the legality of a prime minister making such claims while visiting another state, suggesting that it violated India’s federal structure.
“It is well known that the influx of immigrants into India is largely due to the international border with Bangladesh in Assam. Considering the magnitude of the problem of illegal immigration in Assam, the Hon’ble CM of Assam should refrain from fomenting and fanning communal unrest and disharmony in the state of Jharkhand,” the report said.
The letter also mentioned that Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Sarma were appointed as the BJP’s state election in-charges on June 17 and have been provided with Z-plus security since then. Both the leaders were making seditious and hostile remarks against the Jharkhand administration whenever they visited the state, the letter said.
The BJP rejected the allegations, with Sarma denying that there was any misuse of power. He claimed that the Election Commission would take up the issue if the letter was authentic, and urged Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren to focus on resolving local issues, including providing jobs to the families of youths who died during the recruitment drive for excise officers.
“I am not into politics. I am asking Hemant Soren to reform the state. Give jobs to the relatives of the youth who died during the recruitment drive for excise officers,” the Assam CM said in Ranchi.
The BJP questioned why the JMM government had not filed formal complaints or FIRs against Sarma and Chouhan if their actions were indeed illegal, suggesting that the ruling coalition was acting out of fear of losing the upcoming elections. Leader of the Opposition Amar Kumar Bauri said that political leaders are free to campaign anywhere in India and that the JMM’s allegations were a sign of desperation.
The Jharkhand government urged the EC to conduct an impartial inquiry into the actions of BJP leaders and protect the state bureaucracy from undue pressure.
The complaint was filed ahead of elections to the 81-member Jharkhand Assembly. The JMM coalition alleges that the BJP is trying to destabilise the state administration and intimidate local officials.
In a letter to the EC, Secretary General of the Cabinet Secretariat and the Jharkhand Civil Guard Department, Vandana Dadel, accused the BJP of using inflammatory rhetoric to sow division among the people, particularly targeting religious sentiments for political gains.
The state government highlighted previous cases of officials being relieved of election duties during the Lok Sabha elections, which it said contributed to a climate of fear and demoralisation among government officials. The letter also demanded that the EC take “strongest possible action” against political leaders interfering in the internal affairs of Jharkhand.
A major bone of contention was Sarma’s recent statements accusing the JMM-led coalition of facilitating Bengali infiltration into the state. The Jharkhand government warned that such claims were not only misleading but also had the potential to disrupt communal harmony and threaten internal security. The letter questioned the legality of a prime minister making such claims while visiting another state, suggesting that it violated India’s federal structure.
“It is well known that the influx of immigrants into India is largely due to the international border with Bangladesh in Assam. Considering the magnitude of the problem of illegal immigration in Assam, the Hon’ble CM of Assam should refrain from fomenting and fanning communal unrest and disharmony in the state of Jharkhand,” the report said.
The letter also mentioned that Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Sarma were appointed as the BJP’s state election in-charges on June 17 and have been provided with Z-plus security since then. Both the leaders were making seditious and hostile remarks against the Jharkhand administration whenever they visited the state, the letter said.
The BJP rejected the allegations, with Sarma denying that there was any misuse of power. He claimed that the Election Commission would take up the issue if the letter was authentic, and urged Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren to focus on resolving local issues, including providing jobs to the families of youths who died during the recruitment drive for excise officers.
“I am not into politics. I am asking Hemant Soren to reform the state. Give jobs to the relatives of the youth who died during the recruitment drive for excise officers,” the Assam CM said in Ranchi.
The BJP questioned why the JMM government had not filed formal complaints or FIRs against Sarma and Chouhan if their actions were indeed illegal, suggesting that the ruling coalition was acting out of fear of losing the upcoming elections. Leader of the Opposition Amar Kumar Bauri said that political leaders are free to campaign anywhere in India and that the JMM’s allegations were a sign of desperation.
