The ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) accused the BJP leaders of trying to do "communal politics" over Ankita Singh immolation case and said the state government also wants stringent punishment for the culprit. JMM spokesperson Supriyo Bhattacharya said, "The Dumka incident is condemnable. The BJP should refrain from doing communal politics over it. The government also wants trial of the accused in a fast track court."
The JMM leader accused the BJP of trying to disturb the social fabric in society saying that BJP leaders identify victims and accused on the basis of religion, but for JMM all are one. The JMM leader also said that BJP leaders before targeting JMM especially Chief Minister Hemant Soren should remember that in2016 an engineering student was burnt to death after being allegedly raped in an engineering college which was owned by BJP leader.
Bhattacharya, “The 2016 incident occurred when Raghubar Das was Chief Minister the BJP leadership before targeting Soren government should introspect and also think about the 2016 incident.” He also targeted the BJP central leadership team visit to Dumka to meet the family members of victim family members. He said that if the incident would have occurred in Uttar Pradesh then the state government would have put a ban on visits of leaders from the opposition, but we have not done any such thing.
A delegation of BJP leaders comprising Nishikant Dubey, Manoj Tiwari and Kapil Mishra on Wednesday met the family of a Class XII girl who died days after being set ablaze by a man in Dumka and promised to take care of the victim's family.
The incident took place on 23 August when the accused, identified as Shahrukh, allegedly poured petrol on the victim from outside the window of her room while she was sleeping and set her on fire.
The victim was first admitted to Phulo Jhano Medical College and Hospital in Dumka in critical condition with 90 percent burn injuries and later referred to RIMS. She died on Sunday. The accused has already been arrested.
Meanwhile, the State BJP has reacted to the JMM allegation. BJP MLA from Mandu JP Patel said that BJP does not talk about discrimination in the community as party believes in development for all. He said BJP don't do politics of appeasement, neither vote bank politics.
He asked whether it is the threat of the government that a minor should be burnt while sleeping in his house. The world is considering it as the rarest case and the JMM leader is brushing it off as a normal incident. Patel said that the JMM/Congress alliance government has made a record in harassment of women. On Supriyo Bhattacharya's allegation he said, even if JMM leadership gives lakhs of clarification, the negligence of the government has been exposed.
Patel said that for two years, the girl's father had given a written complaint to the Dumka police about the threats being received by the daughter, but the administration remained silent as the matter was related to vote banks.