Soren likens RSS to ‘rats’, alleges BJP stoking communal unrest in Jharkhand

Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren on Wednesday likened the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the ideological fountainhead of the BJP, to “rats” and accused both of them of undermining communal harmony in the poll-bound state for electoral gain.

Addressing a rally virtually from Ranchi, Soren claimed the BJP was sowing discord between Hindu and Muslim communities in Jharkhand and pointed to Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s involvement.

“RSS is invading the state like rats and destroying it. Chase such forces away when you see them entering your villages with ‘handia’ and ‘daru’ (locally brewed liquor)…They want to create communal disturbances and tension ahead of elections for political gains,” Soren said during the rally in Bhognadih, Sahibganj.

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Predicts provocative incidents

Soren warned of provocative incidents such as throwing meat into temples and mosques. He also characterised the BJP as a party of “traders and industrialists,” accusing it of buying political leaders to serve its agenda, in an apparent reference to former Jharkhand CM Champai Soren, who recently defected to the BJP.

The chief minister dismissed BJP claims of demographic changes in Jharkhand, urging critics to examine neighbouring West Bengal’s data instead.

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Questioning Himanta Biswa Sarma’s presence in Jharkhand while tribal communities in his home state face what Soren described as “numerous atrocities”, Soren said, “They talk about spoiling the demography and Bangladeshi intruders. I would like to tell them to go and get the data from the Centre and see in which district and in which state it has changed. They don’t like places where people live in peace and harmony. They cook their political plans and conspiracies ignited by them. You need to identify them and show them their worth.”

Soren accused the BJP of obstructing the state’s development and questioned why the tribal religion code had not yet been granted. “Why are we not being given the tribal religion code? Why are our tribal brothers and sisters in Assam denied their rights?” he asked.