BJP says on coming to power in Jharkhand it would take strict action against Bangladeshi infiltrators

BJP vows to identify Bangladeshi infiltrators in Jharkhand, restore land to tribal owners, amid demographic concerns.

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday (November 4, 2024) said that upon coming to power in Jharkhand, its government would identify Bangladeshi infiltrators for taking stringent action against them, and restore the land grabbed by them to the rightful owners from the tribal communities in the State.

At a press conference, BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia said Union Home Minister Amit Shah had said that strict action would be taken against the infiltrators.

Alleging that infiltration had led to a demographic change in the State and was also a threat to national security, Mr. Bhatia said in Santhal Pargana, members of the Scheduled Tribe (ST) communities formed 46% of the total population in 2001, which declined to 42% in 2011; whereas the Muslim population in 2001 was 33% and in 2011 it rose up to 36%.

Mr. Bhatia accused the ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha-Congress-Rashtriya Janata Dal alliance of encouraging infiltration of Bangladeshi nationals into Jharkhand for electoral gains, without caring for the rights of the tribal communities. He said after the tribal communities lodged complaints and the BJP took up the issue strongly, the State government issued an order.

Quoting the government order, the BJP leader said infiltrators in Santhal Pargana are accommodated in madrasas, their government documents are prepared, and names are included in the voters’ list. They marry the women of tribal communities and grab their land, he claimed.

“No action is taken against them, because the JMM, Congress, and the RJD indulge in appeasement politics. They do not have any problems with the infiltrators as they know that the infiltrators are their vote bank,” said Mr. Bhatia.

The BJP leader accused the ruling coalition of corruption in the State, pointing out that Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren had purportedly got a stone mining lease issued in his name.