RANCHI: On the last day of the Budget Session of the Jharkhand Assembly on Thursday, the BJP protested both inside and outside the House against the murder of former Zila Parishad Member and BJP leader Anil Tiger, demanding the resignation of Chief Minister Hemant Soren. Expressing concern over the worsening law and order situation in Jharkhand, the BJP claimed that the state has witnessed a return to "jungle raj" under the Hemant Soren-led government.
BJP MLAs staged a dharna outside the Jharkhand Assembly, carrying placards and shouting slogans that jungle raj has returned to Jharkhand once again. They also claimed that criminals are being given protection from the state government and hence murders are taking place in the state one after the other.
Leader of Opposition Babulal Marandi strongly criticized the police for mishandling the investigation into Anil Tiger’s murder. He also alleged that instead of ensuring justice, the administration was engaged in character assassination of the deceased.
“The brutal murder of BJP leader Tiger Anil Mahto at a distance of hardly 100 metres from Kanke police station in Ranchi has exposed the law-and-order situation in the state. Yet the police are trying to divert attention by linking Anil Tiger to the cases in Latehar and Kudu. I personally verified these claims, and there is no truth to them. The police are deliberately weakening the case instead of catching the real culprits,” said Marandi during the Jharkhand Assembly session. The priority of the police is not to protect the public but to protect the criminals, and hence, action must be taken against the DGP and Ranchi SSP, he added.
Meanwhile, normal life was affected by the Ranchi bandh called by the BJP, AJSU and a few other political parties. Demonstrations were held on the streets by burning tyres at different locations leading to the blockade of roads on almost all-important squares and intersections in Ranchi.
Clashes erupted in several areas as BJP workers attempted to enforce the shutdown, leading to detentions and minor scuffles. Despite heavy police deployment, the bandh saw a significant impact, with several markets, businesses and transport services remaining shut for hours.
Most of the roads in Ranchi, including Piska More, Harmu Road, Kishorganj Chowk, Kachhari Chowk and Main Road, were blocked for several hours. More than 50 BJP protesters from various areas of the capital were detained by the police, but were later released in the evening.
Former Zila Parishad member Anil Tiger was shot dead by unidentified assailants near Kanke Chowk under Kanke police station in Ranchi on Wednesday. The bike-borne assailants opened fire on him before fleeing the scene.