Opposition parties in the State have received a new lease of life to come closer after the firing incident at Badkagaon killed four persons on Saturday. The Congress and few others would hold hands together with the JMM to raise the matter against the Government.
Jharkhand Pradesh Congress Committee chief Sukhdeo Bhagat on Monday met JMM working president and leader of Opposition Hemant Soren and chalked out strategies for the days to come. Before leaving, Bhagat blamed the Government entirely for the “brutal incident” and hinted to work along with other parties.
The Congress has formed a probe team to look into the incident. Opposition parties also figuring JVM and left parties would organise a protest march on October 5 and a statewide bandh has been called on October 24.
later addressing a Press conference after the meeting Hemant Soren said, “I am going to Badkagaon on Tuesday and invite all those willing to come together for the cause of poor villagers. This Government is surely becoming shameless and has no morality left. Had it been the case, the Chief Minister would have resigned by now. I now find difficulty in calling him the Chief Minister.”
Soren on the occasion charged the Government for favouring businessmen while travelling outside whereas killing his own people back home. “The Badkagaon incident is a reason of shame for us. Earlier also we have seen similar incident at Gola. The CM is touring abroad and inviting investors. Are the businessmen his priority or the villagersIJ They have given free hand to police to suppress genuine voices of villagers.
Is it a democracy or goondarajIJ” asked the baffling leader and alleged the Government for misusing the power of mandate.
The JMM leader also blamed the Government for mishandling the situation at Badkagaon where villagers are on protest over NTPC coal mining project. “A Union Minister of State (Jayant Sinha) had initiated for solution but he has been snubbed and sidelined. The villagers in the leadership of local MlA were protesting peacefully but the administration did pay no heed. The incident was bound to happen and it happened at last,” added the loP.
Warning the Government Hemant Soren demanded judicial probe into the incident besides jobs and Rs 20 lakh as compensation to the aggrieved families. “The Opposition would put their voice emphatically over this incident. If anything happens to the MlA then this Assembly is gone! We know how to fight it out. If the situation prevails like this not a single inch of land can be acquired for industry in the State in future,” said he.
Notably, Badkagaon MlA of the Congress Nirmala Devi who was on dharna alongwith locals is ‘traceless’ following the incident. Police conducted search operation in the villages near the site of the incident on Monday to find out the MlA, while villagers and Nirmala’s supporters alleged that police had kept the MlA in captivity under some undisclosed location.