Union Home Minister Amit Shah addresses a public meeting
Sahibganj/Giridih: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday lashed out at the ruling JMM-led coalition in Jharkhand for allegedly encouraging "rampant infiltration" and cautioned that if not checked, illegal immigrants will become a majority in the state in the next 25-30 years.
He also criticised the state government for "vote bank" politics and vowed that if the BJP comes to power, it would chase "each" illegal immigrant out of the state.
He also promised Rs 10 lakh free health cover to poor people aged 75 and above in the state.
The BJP stalwart who addressed two rallies claimed that the party will win the state assembly elections, due later this year, with a two-third majority.
"Infiltrators are the vote bank of Lalu Prasad's RJD, Rahul Baba's Congress and Hemant Soren's JMM. I promise to drive out illegal immigrants. The time has come to show the corrupt JMM dispensation the exit door...We want to change Jharkhand," Shah said at a rally after flagging off BJP's 'Parivartan Yatra' in Sahibganj.
Alleging that 37 tribal women were raped in Santhal Paragana and 30 others died in police custody, he claimed slogans that ‘Tribals and Hindus leave Jharkhand’ were being raised.
"Tell me if this land belongs to tribals or Rohingyas and Bangladeshi infiltrators. No one can save Jharkhand, neither JMM nor Congress. It is only Prime Minister Narendra Modi who can save it," Shah said.
He urged people to choose a government which would drive out illegal immigrants and not one that would patronise them.
"The Hemant Soren government is indulging in the welfare of infiltrators and not of the public. Our manifesto provides free treatment facilities up to Rs 10 lakh to poor people aged 75 and above," he said.
Addressing another rally at Giridih, he said, "If infiltration is not checked, illegal immigrants will become the majority in Jharkhand in the coming 25-30 years. There is no place for infiltrators in the state. They are marrying our daughters, grabbing land and destroying rich tribal culture.” The union home minister urged people to help ‘lotus’, the symbol of the BJP, bloom in the state.
"The BJP is going to form the government in Jharkhand with a two-third majority", he said.
Shah alleged that the Hemant Soren government in Jharkhand was the "most corrupt in the country that indulged in multiple financial misconducts, including Rs 1,000 crore in MNREGA, Rs 1,000 crore in mining, Rs 600 crore in land and Rs 40 crore liquor scam. It also usurped Army land".
He said Rs 350 crore in cash was found from a former Congress MP in the state besides recovery of huge amounts of money from others.
"It is time to show the exit door to corrupt forces," Shah said.
He added that 63,000 villages in the country will be developed under Pradhan Mantri Janjatiya Unnat Gram Abhiyan at a cost of Rs 50,000 crore.
Shah attacked the chief minister for allegedly not fulfilling promises made to the people.
"Hemant Soren promised 5 lakh jobs to youth per year. Instead of jobs, youth are forced to die while taking physical tests, jobs are given in lieu of money," he said.
He said Jharkhand was devoid of good roads, hospitals, ambulances and doctors.
The JMM-led government has "meted out injustice to tribals, Dalit, women and others in the state, he alleged.
"It was paradoxical that a rich state like Jharkhand, which has the capacity to fill the country's treasury, has been experiencing a mass exodus of its youths in search of greener pastures," he said.
Shah said the UPA regime at the Centre gave "only Rs 84,000 crore to Jharkhand in 10 years while PM Modi sanctioned Rs 3.81 lakh crore".
"We will check the ‘Ganga river of corruption’ in Jharkhand and prevent it from merging with the sea. We will hang corrupt people upside down and will make Jharkhand the number one state in the country," he said.
With an eye on the assembly elections, the opposition BJP would launch six 'Parivartan' processions to reach the people and "expose the failures" of the JMM-led government in the state.
These marches will cover 5,400 km across 81 assembly segments in 24 districts before concluding on October 2.
Around 50 national and state-level leaders of the BJP, including chief ministers of several states, are expected to participate in such rallies.