Former chief minister and senior BJP leader Arjun Munda along with other senior leaders of party courted arrest near district headquarters in protest against the President’s Rule in the State on Monday.
Addressing a massive dharna in front of the headquarters, Munda lashed at the Congress-led Government at the Centre and alleged that the party has kept Assembly in suspended animation under President’s Rule to rule the State indirectly.
The party activists who took part in the agitation raised anti-slogans against the UPA Government at the Centre. Munda re-iterated restoration of democratic process in Jharkhand which is presently governed under President’s rule. “The State Assembly should be dissolved to pave way for fresh elections,” said Munda and added since no party had the mandate to form a government the Assembly should have been dissolved to allow a fresh mandate.
The demonstration of the saffron brigade lasted for about an hour before Munda and other leaders including spokesperson Amarpreet Singh Kale, former party State president Dineshanand Goswami, district president Rajkumar Srivastava courted arrest. Around 2,000 partymen along with the party leaders were arrested and taken to the Sakchi police station from where they were later released on PR bond.
The BJP agitation disrupted traffic movement on the Old Court Road for about two hours from 11 am to 1 pm. “President’s Rule can never supplement the democratically elected government. We want immediate dissolve of the Assembly and election dates to be announced within the specified time,” Goswami. The district BJP activists also protested against corruption, price rise , dissolution of the state assembly among other things.
Kale said that their agitation was a part of BJP’s nationwide stir. “The party has decided to undertake agitation against price rise and corruption in district headquarters from June 17 to June 30,” he said. Jharkhand came under President’s Rule on January 18 after the BJP-led coalition Government was reduced to a minority following the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha’s withdrawal of support on January 8, 2013. The 82-member House has 18 members of the BJP and JMM each, 13 of the Congress, 11 from the JVM, six of the AJSU Party, five of the RJD, two from the JD(U), eight Independents and one nominated member.
The leaders also claimed Tata Steel is flouting norms as per the lease agreement of 2005 between the company management and Jharkhand Government. Not only has the standard of civic services provided by the company had deteriorated but the areas of the services has also been limited to the company command area only.
“We are here to express concerns that Jusco that provides civic services in the city is not providing quality services and the people are reeling under lack of basic facilities. Our demand is that the company should also provide such services like pure drinking water, maintenance of roads, cleanliness and better drainage system in non company areas too,” said a leader.
Meanwhile the traffic movement was badly hit as hundreds of party workers blocked the road leading to Mango. The police had tough time controlling the vehicles.