Hemant Soren looted Jharkhand, says PM Modi; Accuses state govt of rampant corruption

Prime Minister Narendra Modi criticized the Hemant Soren-led Jharkhand government on Sunday, accusing it of widespread corruption, particularly in the mining sector. During a rally in Bokaro, Modi pointed to the illegal mining scam in Jharkhand, highlighting the recent discovery of significant amounts of cash in the state. He claimed that the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM)-Congress coalition had engaged in corrupt practices that deprived the people of their rightful resources. "The Soren government has looted Jharkhand. I assure you that once we form a government, we will fight in court to ensure that these corrupt individuals face the harshest punishment,” Modi said. He assured the people that the misappropriated funds would be used for their benefit if the BJP comes to power.

The Prime Minister focused heavily on the JMM leadership, alleging that their profits were derived from illegal sand mining operations. He stated that large sums of money had been discovered, questioning its origin. "Their (JMM) leaders are earning crores of money through sand mining. From them, mountains of notes have been discovered. From where did these notes come? Isn’t this your money? Isn’t this the money looted from you?" Modi said. He emphasized that under a BJP-led government, such practices would be eradicated and funds would be directed toward public welfare.

Modi also took the opportunity to compare the financial assistance provided to Jharkhand by his government with that provided during the Congress-led administration. He stated that between 2004 and 2014, the Congress government had allocated a mere Rs 80,000 crore to Jharkhand over a span of ten years. In contrast, the BJP government had provided more than Rs 3 lakh crore to the state over the past decade. “With your support, we have provided over Rs 3 lakh crore to Jharkhand in the last ten years,” Modi said, highlighting the increased focus on state development.

BJP President J.P. Nadda also addressed election rallies in Jharkhand, particularly in Ramgarh and Bishrampur, where he criticized the Hemant Soren-led coalition for hindering the state’s progress through "regressive and anti-people" policies. He condemned the JMM-Congress-RJD alliance as an "alliance of corrupt people" and claimed that the public was determined to remove the government in the upcoming elections. “In Jharkhand, in the past five years, they looted forests and land and endangered the existence of tribals. Rs 350 crore was found from the house of the Congress MP here, and Rs 35 crore was found from the house of the PA of the minister," Nadda stated, referring to recent corruption scandals.

Nadda continued his attack by stressing that the corruption under the current government had negatively impacted tribal communities in the state. He noted that resources meant to benefit the tribals, such as land and forests, were being looted, jeopardizing their livelihood. Nadda emphasized that previous governments had ignored the tribal population, while Modi's government had worked to empower them. He mentioned that the government had taken steps such as declaring November 15 as Tribal Pride Day to honor Lord Birsa Munda, a revered tribal leader. Additionally, Nadda highlighted the efforts made by the BJP government to uplift the tribal community, including the allocation of Rs 130 crore for a tap water scheme in Jharkhand, which was hindered by the state government.

Further, Nadda pointed out the increases in the budgets for tribal development, which were tripled under the BJP government, and the budget for Eklavya schools, which had been raised 21 times to benefit tribal children. He promised that the BJP would fully implement these programs and ensure their success if they came to power in the state.

In his concluding remarks, Nadda assured the people that a BJP-led government would bring about significant improvements in various sectors, including healthcare and education. He announced plans to open at least 10 new medical colleges and highlighted the Gogo Didi scheme, which would provide Rs 2,100 to women each month. Nadda emphasized that a "double-engine" government would result in faster development and better opportunities for the people of Jharkhand, particularly in rural and tribal areas.