India not 'dharmshala,' Ranchi 'converted to Karachi': BJP wants action against alleged infiltration in Jharkhand

Immigration has been a contentious issue in Assam, Bengal, and Tripura for years, benefiting the BJP politically in those states. The party appears to be attempting to replicate this strategy in poll-bound Jharkhand.
Image used for representational purposes.
Image used for representational purposes.Photo | Express
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In the lead-up to the Jharkhand assembly elections, BJP leaders have sharpened their focus on the issue of "infiltrators," which they claim is a growing and unchecked threat to the state. Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav have all raised concerns about what they describe as unchecked infiltration allegedly encouraged by the ruling JMM-led coalition for political gain.

Chouhan warned that Jharkhand is being overrun by "infiltrators," eroding the state's cultural and demographic identity. He accused the JMM-led government of treating India like a "dharmshala" for outsiders, prioritising vote-bank politics over the protection of Jharkhand’s indigenous communities. According to Chouhan, these "infiltrators" are allegedly marrying tribal women to gain a foothold, which he sees as a “serious threat” to Jharkhand’s population balance. He cited statistics claiming that the tribal population in Santhal Parganas has dropped from 44% to 28% due to these incursions.

"The JMM alliance considers these intruders as its vote bank," Chouhan said, alleging that the ruling coalition has provided illegal immigrants with voter IDs, Aadhaar cards, and ration cards. He argued that this influx compromises the state's resources and identity, benefiting only the ruling parties and their interests. Chouhan promised that, if voted to power, the BJP would implement a citizenship register to identify and expel these "infiltrators," which he claimed is essential to preserve Jharkhand’s cultural fabric.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma echoed Chouhan’s sentiments, stressing the need for communal unity to counter the alleged infiltration. Using the slogan, “Ek rahoge to safe rahoge” (You will be safe if you remain united), Sarma emphasised that only a united electorate can prevent "infiltrators" from destabilising Jharkhand. He linked the issue of infiltration to broader concerns over women's safety, warning that "unchecked Bangladeshi infiltration would pose a serious threat to the state's families and communities."

He warned that if the BJP were not voted into power, "infiltrators" would invade homes, putting "wives, daughters-in-law, and daughters at serious risk." Sarma further promised, "We will remove ministers like Alamgir Alam and Irfan Ansari, who have plundered Jharkhand, just as we drove Babar out of Ayodhya."

Recently Union Home Minister Amit Shah also had accused the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha for allegedly being lenient on the issue of "infiltration" and claimed that the tribal population in Jharkhand was declining due to the government's treatment of "Bangladeshi infiltrators" as a vote bank.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also had voiced these concerns, stating that the JMM-led government had been settling "Bangladeshi infiltrators" across Jharkhand for electoral gain. Modi pointed to actions such as disallowing Saraswati Vandana in schools and incidents of stone-pelting during festivals, claiming they highlighted the gravity of the issue. He warned that if the government’s policies persisted, the indigenous Adivasi community in Jharkhand would face further marginalisation, losing their livelihood, daughters, and land.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav added his voice to the criticism, accusing the JMM-led coalition of converting Ranchi into Karachi. He claimed that Hindus are facing increasing atrocities in Jharkhand, and blamed both the JMM and Congress for the decline of the Hindu population due to infiltration from Bangladesh. Yadav further alleged that the JMM-led coalition was deliberately fostering these "infiltrations" for vote-bank politics, putting the state’s resources and culture at risk.

Alleged illegal immigration from Bangladesh has long been a sensitive issue in Assam, Tripura, and West Bengal. Now, it has become a prominent topic in Jharkhand, with the BJP highlighting it as a key issue in the upcoming elections. As the BJP intensifies its campaign in Jharkhand, the party is raising the issue not just a local governance concern but as a matter of national security and cultural preservation.

(With inputs from PTI)

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