Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren on Wednesday, September 26, sparked controversy after referring to Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a right-wing outfit as “rats” while addressing a rally in the Bhognadih village.
In his speech, Soren accused both the BJP and the RSS of attempting to undermine communal harmony in Jharkhand for electoral gains, particularly ahead of the upcoming elections.
The comments made by Soren were a continuation of his attack on the modus operandi of the BJP, which Soren has accused of deliberately seeking to drive a wedge between Hindus and the minority Muslims. He directly accused Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma of worsening the situation in the state.
During his rally, Soren slammed Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, known for his Islamophobic and anti-Muslim stance, and accused him of exacerbating tensions in the state.
“RSS is invading the state like rats and destroying it. Chase such forces away,” Soren said. He called upon the villagers to not allow outsiders who come into their villages with local liquor and create communal disturbances ahead of elections for political gains.
The chief minister also spoke about the growing provocative incidents involving throwing meat inside a mosque or temple etc. which he said was aimed at causing communal riots. He described the BJP as mainly the party for “traders and industrialists”, accusing them of buying political leaders to further its agenda.
His comment was likely in response to former Jharkhand chief minister Champai Soren who recently switched to the BJP complaining of “Insaaf” in the previous party.
Soren also rejected other claims raised by the BJP about demographic change in Jharkhand and advised critics to compare it with West Bengal. “They talk about spoiling the demography and Bangladeshi intruders. I would like to advise them to go and get the data from the Centre and see in which district, which state it has changed. They don’t prefer areas where the people are calm and orderly. They bake their political intentions and plots out of them. You need to identify them and show them their worth,” Soren said.
He also questioned the presence of Himanta Biswa Sarma in Jharkhand while tribal communities in Assam continue to face various atrocities. “Why are we not being given the tribal religion code? Why are our tribal brothers and sisters in Assam being deprived of their due? he asked.
Meanwhile, BJP leader Ajay Alok reacted to Soren’s remarks on the RSS, stating, “The RSS is not China or Pakistan to infiltrate like rats. The RSS is like a lion, present everywhere in India because the land of India belongs to the RSS… Hemant Soren should be ashamed that as a tribal chief minister, he doesn’t even realize that the tribal population, which was 42 percent in his state, has now dropped to 28 percent. Have they disappeared into thin air?”.
