Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday laid the foundation stone, inaugurated and launched various projects worth over Rs 83,300 crore in Hazaribagh followed by addressing the concluding rally of State BJP Parivartan yatra. The PM visit marks the second time in 17 days in Jharkhand, following his previous visit to Jamshedpur on September 15.
Addressing the gathering as part of Parivartan yatra conclusion, PM Modi once again raised the demography change issue in Jharkhand cautioning that the population of Hindus and tribals (Adivasis) in Jharkhand is declining and accused the JMM-led coalition government of engaging in dangerous "vote bank politics" by supporting infiltrators at the expense of the state’s identity, culture, and heritage.
He asserted that it was time to "throw such forces out" to protect "mati, beti, roti" (land, daughter, bread).
"The time is ripe for 'Parivartan' in Jharkhand to safeguard 'beti, mati, roti' and combat corruption. The JMM-led coalition is playing a dangerous game, jeopardising the identity, culture, and traditions of the people while patronising infiltrators," Modi said.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah kicked off BJP Parivartan yatra on September 20 from Bhognadih the birthplace of Veer Shaheed Sidhu Kanhu who led the Santhal revolt in 1855.
The yatra, led by state BJP president and former chief minister Babulal Marandi, will cover a distance of 5400 kms, passing through more than 200 blocks in the entire state across all 81 assembly segments.
Targeting the JMM/Congress alliance government Modi criticised the coalition for being insensitive, citing the deaths of several aspirants during recruitment drives for excise constables.
Earlier, before reaching Jharkhand, the PM took to the official handle of the BJP to write, “Today, once again, I have the privilege of being a participant in the development journey of Jharkhand. I came to Jamshedpur a few days ago, where I launched development projects worth hundreds of crores of rupees for Jharkhand.”
“Thousands of poor people in Jharkhand received their own pucca houses under the PM Awas Yojana. And now, within a few days, the foundation stone and inauguration of development projects worth more than Rs 80 thousand crore have been completed in Jharkhand today. These schemes are related to the welfare and upliftment of tribal society”, he added.
To boost educational infrastructure for tribal communities, the Prime Minister inaugurated 40 Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) and laid the foundation stone for 25 EMRS, worth over Rs 2,800 crore.
According to the Prime Minister’s Office, this initiative will cover approximately 63,000 villages across 549 districts and 2,740 blocks in 30 states and Union Territories, directly benefiting over 5 crore tribal people.
The Prime Minister also launched the Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan scheme, with a total outlay of over Rs 79,150 crore. As per party sources, PM Modi held a meeting with the tribal community in Ranchi, after which he headed to Hazaribagh’s Gandhi Maidan to attend the closing ceremony of the BJP’s Parivartan Yatra.
Jharkhand is expected to hold elections for its 81-member legislative assembly by December 2024, as the current government’s tenure is set to end in January 2025.
The Election Commission has yet to announce the election schedule. In the 2020 assembly election, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha won 30 seats, the Bharatiya Janata Party won 25, and the Congress won 16.
