Mocking at former Chief Minister Babulal Marandi returning to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday ruling parties in the State, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and Indian National Congress (INC) said that Marandi was duping people for the last 14 years.
Addressing a Press conference at the party headquarters, Jharkhand Pradesh Congress Committee (JPCC) Spokesperson, Alok Kumar Dubey said it is not mega merger but it is merger of disappointment. Taking a dig at Union Home Minister, Amit Shah the party Spokesperson said that Shah is seeing the day when he had to come to the State Capital to include a single MLA.
Terming BJP as sinking boat, Dubey said that changing the navigator could not save the boat. “BJP is losing its ground and the party has included Marandi who lost several elections in the pasts then he won this time. Out of total three MLAs of his party two MLAs joined Congress already. The party workers and officials already left him. This is third merger of Marandi’s party in BJP. Since last 14 years Marandi is helping BJP. In the last Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections BJP gained in the State only due to Marandi, he helped in distributing anti-BJP votes,” he added.
Meanwhile, reacting on Marandi’s merger at a press meet, JMM General Secretary, Supriyo Bhattacharya said that returning home after 14 years of long time Marandi is thinking that he will celebrate Dipawali then it will be his blunder as the State BJP is divided in many groups and many leaders of the State unit of the party internally opposing his returning in BJP.
Taking a dig at Marandi, the party General Secretary said that on one hand BJP brought Local Policy based on year 1985 and Marandi had raise Local Policy based on year 1932 during his tenure. Now he should explain which side he will go, he added.
Hitting hard on former Chief Minister Raghubar Das’ statement during the merger programme, in which Das said that law and order situation is completely in bad condition, Bhattacharya said that Das forgot his tenure when a person killed on the Court premises, killing happened just in front of main entrance of his residence. “A total of 12 persons killed under mob lynching, 18 persons killed for child theft, crime against women and cases of rape registered in record numbers,” he added.
Bhattacharya further said that Marandi should also remember that during January, 2001 to February, 2002 in Marandi’s tenure as Chief Minister, Jharkhand High Court had said that there is situation of complete anarchy in the State.
Bhattacharya said that the State Government is not working with revenge policy; it is only reviewing former Government’s work. There is example that the workers of State Government were not getting their salary since three months, they got their due salary on December, 16 only because the State’s treasury is empty and there is no money to pay salary to the workers, he added.