Jharkhand Assembly Elections 2024 | Centre meted out injustice to state; saffron forces trying to grab power: Kalpana Soren

Medininagar, Jharkhand: Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) MLA Kalpana Soren on Wednesday launched a frontal attack on the Centre accusing it of meting out injustice to the state by extorting its mines and minerals at the expense of poor tribals.

She also criticised the BJP "for going to any extent to grab power", warning that they would be ousted from the state.

Soren challenged the saffron party to bring in chief ministers and leaders from other states to propagate their agenda, specifically mentioning Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

"The Centre has always meted out injustice to Jharkhand. It eyes only its mines and minerals and indulges in resource extortion. It owes us a massive Rs 1.36 lakh crore for coal," she said during the 'Maiya Samman Yatra.' Soren highlighted that BJP leaders are actively campaigning in the state while the Centre covets its mineral wealth. "We will give a befitting reply to them," she added.

She claimed that as elections approach, "BJP bahurupiyas (impersonators) are here to spread propaganda in an attempt to seize power, but such forces will be driven out." Soren accused the saffron party of building their base on the work of others and called on them to bring as many leaders as possible to challenge her husband, Chief Minister Hemant Soren.

"I challenge them to bring as many CMs and leaders as they can to harass our popular CM Hemant Soren...Our women will be his kavach (shield)," she said and urged people to thwart BJP's attempts to grab power here.

Without naming anyone, she noted the hypocrisy of those who "garland the statue of Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar on one hand while uprooting their statues on the other." Soren alleged that her husband was imprisoned for five months as part of a conspiracy, which led to delays in the disbursement of funds under the Jharkhand Mukhyamantri Maiyan Samman Yojana, a financial assistance scheme for impoverished women.

Hemant Soren was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on January 31 in connection with a money laundering case linked to a land scam, but he was released on bail in June.