RANCHI: Amid protests across the country over declaring Sammed Shikharji into an eco-tourism spot, the BJP and the JMM are locked in a blame game. Blaming the BJP, the ruling JMM in the state claimed that the notification declaring Sammed Shikharji a tourist spot was issued on October 22, 2018 and the same notification was published in the official gazette on February 16, 2019 by the Raghubar Das government.
The BJP, on the other hand, accused the JMM of misleading people claiming that the party has always worked to keep the sanctity of Sammed Shikarji intact. According to JMM general secretary Supriyo Bhattarcharya, the BJP is hatching a conspiracy against the non-violent Jain community and it should seek apology. The BJP wants to finish the community and the recent attack on its religious place in Gujarat is a case in point, he said.
“The development took place in 2018 during the tenure of the then Chief Minister Raghubar Das. On the basis of the Jharkhand government’s order, the BJP government at the Centre issued a similar notification declaring Sammed Shikarji as an eco-tourism spot,” said the JMM leader.
“The JMM-led government is always with the Jain community. When the Jain community raised its concern over the issue after meeting Chief Minister Hemant Soren, he immediately directed the district administration to ensure sanctity of the religious place,” the leader added.
Bhattacharya added that Sammed Shikarji being located at the highest peak, it is the ‘Taj’ of Jharkhand and the JMM-led government will never allow any force to play with its sanctity. The BJP alleged that the controversy started only after the gazette was published by the Hemant Soren government on February 17, 2022.
‘Fear of loss of sanctity’
After the Hemant Soren-led government declared Sammed Shikharji into an eco-tourism spot, the news sent the community into a frenzy. They fear that the decision could disrupt Sammed Shikharji’s
sanctity