Hemant Soren's barb at PM triggers war of words between rivals
Ranchi: Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren's jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over their telephonic talks on COVID situation triggered political slugfest with the BJP on Friday accusing Soren of lacking the basic courtesy expected of a person holding his office and lowering its dignity.
Congress, JMM's ally in the Jharkhand government,rallied behind Soren and said the PM should have heard the chief minister who was upset as he did not get the opportunity to speak on the issues the state is battling for want of adequate supplies of medicines and equipment to fight COVID more effectively.
"What wrong is done by Soren if he wanted to apprise the PM with the problems faced by the state," senior Congress leader and its Jharkhand in-charge RPN Singh asked.
Soren had on Thursday described Modi's phone call to him on the COVID-19 situation in the country as the PM's "Mann Ki Baat", instead of business.
"Today the respected Prime Minister called. He only spoke his 'Mann Ki Baat'. It would have been better if he would have talked business and heard the issues," the Jharkhand chief minister said in a tweet.
Official sources said Soren was unhappy as he was not allowed to present the issues concerning his state before Modi and instead, it was only the prime minister who talked about the COVID-19 situation.
Feeling offended over Soren's barb at the PM, the BJP went hammer and tongs on the Jharkhand chief minister.
Attacking the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha leader, BJP general secretary (organisation) B L Santhosh reacted to his tweet, "This is the level to which some politicians are stooping. PM calls & has detailed talk regarding COVID-19 crisis & this CM tweets so. Lacks minimum grace required for the position he holds."
Union minister Arjun Munda lashed out at Soren, saying instead of expressing gratitude towards the PM for extending help as how to more effectively fight against the pandemic jointly you are criticising him.
"Prime Minister showed his 'badapan' (greatness) while you lowered your and chief ministerial post dignity," Munda, a former chief minister of Jharkhand told PTI.
BJP MP and party chief spokesperson Anil Baluni also targeted Soren, saying he has neither knowledge of the country's federal structure nor does he appreciate basic courtesy.
People should not suffer for your wrong policies, he said, adding that Soren may leave them to their fate but the Modi government is always with them.
Assam BJP leader Himanta Biswa Sarma said Soren's tweet goes against the basic decorum and also mocks people's suffering as Modi had called up to enquire about them.
"You have behaved in a very petty way. You have lowered the dignity of the chief minister's chair," Sarma said.
Two former CMs of Jharkhand-Raghubar Das and Babulal Marandi-also attacked Soren for his comments on the PM.
The saffron party's Jharkhand unit president Deepak Prakash also joined them in Soren bashing.
"The Chief Minister has stooped to low and has indulged in a 'low-level' politics," Prakash said.
"Such a statement by the head of a state for his Prime Minister shows low standard, Chief Minister Hemant Soren Ji.
It would have been better if you paid attention to the declining health services in Jharkhand. How long would you decieve the people of the state by such statements?," said BJP MLA CP Singh in a tweet.
"Leave alone huge GST dues, the state should get other dues whether from minesor other sectors which is rightful," RPN Singh told PTI.
State Congress spokesperson Alok Dubey echoed similar views.
Heading JMM-Congress-RJD coalition government in Jharkhand, Soren has been critical of the centre on tackling coronavirus situation and vaccination.
On May 1 he had blamed organisations authorised by the centre for not making available vaccines for putting off the 18 plus anti-COVID jab for now and said the state will announce the fresh dates for vaccination once it is available.
The inoculation drive for the people in the age-group of 18-44 years remained a non-starter in the state amid non- supplies of vaccines.
Jharkhand is also badly hit by the second wave of the deadly virus.
Jharkhand is among the 10 states and Union territories that are collectively accounting for over 75 per cent of daily COVID-19 deaths in the country, according to latest data.
The others in the league are Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Delhi, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Punjab, Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan.
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Punjab CM Mann calls twin blasts 'minor', blames BJP for creating atmosphere of fear
Chandigarh (PTI): Terming the twin blasts in Amritsar and Jalandhar "minor", Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday targeted the BJP and said this was how the party was preparing for the upcoming assembly elections in the state.
Two blasts occurred on Tuesday night, one outside the Border Security Force's Punjab Frontier headquarters in Jalandhar at around 8 pm and another near the army cantonment area in Khasa, Amritsar, at around 11 pm.
The BJP wants to create an atmosphere of fear, Mann told reporters, adding that the party wanted to scare people into getting their votes. "BJP is a communal party. The assembly elections are over in West Bengal, and they (BJP) have said that now it is Punjab's turn, which indicates that these minor blasts are part of their preparation for the Punjab assembly elections," the chief minister said, adding that investigations are underway.
Mann further alleged that the BJP always sought to gain votes by inciting violence and intimidating the public.
"I urge the BJP to cease such tactics. Punjab is a peaceful state. We are the people who always seek the welfare of the world," Mann said while speaking to reporters in Anandpur Sahib after starting his four-day 'Shukrana Yatra' for the implementation of the anti-sacrilege law.
He claimed that the BJP had a penchant for stirring up trouble in states where it is contesting elections.
Noting the significance of the newly enacted anti-sacrilege law -- the Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar Amendment Act, 2026 -- Mann stated that it counteracts the BJP's efforts to provoke conflict between communities.
"With the anti-sacrilege law in place, no one will engage in sacrilegious acts at their behest," he said, further alleging that the law contradicts the BJP's agenda.
Mann expressed concern regarding the BJP's tactics, saying, "The BJP claims it is ready for Punjab. Are they trying to scare people with these minor blasts to secure votes? Punjab has already experienced dark times in the past."
"This is the BJP's style of working. In every state where it contests elections, it instigates riots, carries out minor blasts, and divides people based on religion and caste. This demonstrates their preparation for Punjab," he further alleged.
Mann also noted that Punjab often plays a significant role whenever the country faces a crisis. He emphasised that peace, along with law and order, will be maintained at all costs.
Later, in a statement, Mann alleged that the bomb blasts in Amritsar and Jalandhar were part of a deliberate strategy to destabilise the state after the passage of the anti-sacrilege law.
Drawing parallels with West Bengal, Mann alleged that the BJP "thrives on creating communal tension, panic and unrest in poll-bound states to polarise voters," but asserted that peace-loving Punjabis would never allow the saffron party to destroy the hard-earned harmony of Punjab for electoral gains.
He further alleged that the BJP was trying to create "unrest" in Punjab on the pattern of West Bengal ahead of elections, but the people of Punjab are politically aware and united against such conspiracies.
"Violence, divisiveness and communal tension are the patent of the BJP and an integral part of the saffron party's politics. BJP is trying to incite violence and fear in Punjab on the pattern of Bengal to win the ensuing polls. However, BJP's nefarious designs will never succeed in Punjab because anything can germinate on the fertile land of Punjab, but seeds of hatred can never grow here," the chief minister claimed.
Condemning the blasts in the state, Mann alleged such incidents reflected the BJP's "brand of politics", aimed at spreading terror and panic to polarise society and garner votes. "This divisive politics is being pursued by the BJP in every poll-bound state for electoral gains," he alleged.
Mann said those responsible for the blasts would soon be exposed and brought to justice. "All those involved in this heinous crime against humanity will be brought to book and put behind bars very soon. Strict punishment will be ensured for these people because the Punjab Government has zero tolerance for any activity that threatens the peace, safety and integrity of Punjab," he said.
In response to a question about the West Bengal assembly elections, Mann mentioned Mamata Banerjee's complaints regarding the looting of the electoral mandate. "The Election Commission is also facing accusations. It should clarify its stance, ensuring it is not one-sided," Mann added.
