The row over reported migration of a BJP women’s wing district president has posed serious criticism of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in the State that boasts of a Government claiming to
generate employment to stop migration from Jharkhand and to make opportunities available for economic empowerment, especially to the women residing in rural belts.
The district president of the women’s cell in Gumla district has apparently migrated to Himachal Pradesh in search of employment drawing criticism from the Opposition. Although the party officials claim that the leader has not migrated but has gone to Himachal Pradesh on a family trip, they are not able to bring her back to reject the claims of the Opposition.
Gumla BJP women cell president, Pratima Devi has reportedly abandoned her house and has migrated with family to Himachal Pradesh in search of employment a month back without informing any official of the party.
locals said that that the economic condition of the family was not good and it was difficult for her to make both ends meet.
“Her husband is a drunkard who used to rob her of all the money she used to earn from the beetle shop she used to run. She cannot run a family and raise her kids without having money. In such situations she has left the place and went to Himachal Pradesh for seasonal employment,” said a local requesting anonymity.
However, the party officials termed the entire matter as ‘conspiracy’ of the Opposition. “This is purely a conspiracy of Opposition. They do not want developmental activities to continue. I can assure that she has not migrated to Himachal Pradesh. Pratima Devi and her family members have gone to Himachal to spend some quality time with their relatives who stay in Himachal. Such speculations are being made since she has left the place without formally informing the party members and its going to be one month now,” State BJP Women Wing president, Usha Devi, said.
BJP Gumla District president, Sabindra Kumar Singh said, “We are in constant touch with Pratima Devi and her family members. She has not migrated to Himachal Pradesh in search of job as various reports claim. When contacted her, a while ago, her family members were both in shock and upset about this baseless conjectures. Her three brothers are happily making descent living here. This is a pre planned step of opposition, just to divert the party from its core agenda of development.”
Interestingly, neither Singh nor Devi could provide the women leader’s mobile number or present a confirmation that she has not migrated for employment.
Unable to connect to the district president State BJP spokesperson, Pradeep Sinha, said, “I am not able to contact Pratima Devi on the matter. If the schemes available for the beneficiaries are not reaching the targeted people, it is a matter of concern. The government needs to pay attention towards it and chalk out some feasible points. However, if she has left the place in search of livelihood, then this is our failure. The government will take all mandatory measures to tackle the issue at earliest.”
Notably, despite several attempts Pratima Devi and her family members could not be contacted to clarify their stand on the entire issue.