Jharkhand CM cites Manipur crisis to attack BJP over tribal women's safety issues

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Monday asked the BJP if it had the right to raise the issue of ‘Beti’ (daughters) in the state, when women have allegedly been suffering in Manipur ruled by the saffron party.
    
The election is for democracy and it is above castes and religions, Soren said in an apparent response to the BJP’s assertion that the polls, the last phase of which will be held on Wednesday, is for “Hindu pride”.
    
Addressing rallies in Dumka and Ranchi on the last day of the campaign, the JMM executive president said, “What did they (BJP leaders) know about the plights of our people? Why are they talking about Roti, Beti and Mati (bread, daughter and land)?”
   
 The BJP has been accusing the JMM-led government of patronising Bangladeshi infiltrators who allegedly are marrying tribal women of Jharkhand to grab their land.
    
“Assam Chief Minister (Himanta Biswa Sarma) must speak out what's going on in Manipur. Tribal women there were made to run naked on roads and riots are taking place every day. And they are questioning about Beti!” Soren alleged.

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Manipur has been rocked by violence between two ethnic groups since May last year and a number of women belonging to one side were allegedly tortured by the other.
    
Earlier in the day, Sarma who is the BJP’s election co-in-charge in Jharkhand, claimed in a rally: “This election is for poor, women and youth, besides Hindu pride and protection.”
    
Soren claimed that people having ration cards had died of starvation during the BJP regime in the state, while his government made sure that not a single person died due to want of food even during the Covid pandemic.
    
The CM claimed that his government has off-loaded the burden from the shoulders of the poor, farmer and labour classes as they benefitted them from various welfare schemes.
    
“We have waived farmers’ loans and electricity bills of people, who used to mortgage their jewellery and land or borrow from money lenders to foot power bills and school fees of their children,” he claimed.
   
 The previous “double engine” government had waived loans of crores of rupees of capitalists but did not do anything for the poor, Soren alleged.
    
“If voted back to power, we will make rural Jharkhand economically strong as we are committed to rule the state from villages, not from Ranchi,” he said.