Munda dares UPA MPs to resign on MNS issue

Vijay Deo Jha Ranchi Sunday, November 9, 2008

UPA MPs from Jharkhand should not keep mum and "tender their resignation from Parliament in protest against atrocities committed against north Indians by MNS thugs in Maharashtra", leader of opposition Arjun Munda said on Saturday.

He was answering a specific question at a Press meet on whether or not UPA MPs from Jharkhand would go the JD(U) way and resign from their posts as a mark of protest against the inaction of the Centre and Maharashtra Government for not protecting the north Indians from chauvinistic backlash of the MNS. A day back, the JD(U) MPs from Bihar submitted their resignations en masse on this issue.

Taking the background of the continued silence of the MPs of Jharkhand on this issue during the winter session of Parliament, Munda said this during an interaction with the media in the State capital on Saturday.

Holding the State Government headed by Shibu Soren equally responsible for not pressurising the Central Government to tame the MNS, Munda alleged: "Their (MPs from Jharkhand) conspicuous silence over the whole issue exposes their character and commitment. The JMM, which is a part of the UPA Central Government, should have taken measures to protect the people of the State. The Government has become insensitive to the plight of the people even though the violence took toll on the life of the people of Jharkhand."

Munda also termed organisations like the MNS as 'great threat' to the nation and its 'federal character' and cautioned: "People and politicians need to unite on this issue as such parties nourish an ambition to grab power through such subversive means." He also took a dig at the Nationalist Congress Party and the Congress for giving a free rein to MNS in its violent rhetoric against north Indians.

Speaking about State politics, Munda said: "Even the formation of a new Government in Jharkhand has failed to arouse any hope regarding development since the Government is stuck to a two-point agenda to form new blocks to woo the voters and to project his son as a future leader.

State BJP president Pashupatinath Singh also criticised the State Government for creating blocks as per the recommendations of JMM MLAs while ignoring the genuine as well as old demands of people of the areas which are represented by the MLAs other than the UPA.

Slew of projects likely to mark State Foundation Day

Rajiv/Vijay Deo Jha Ranchi Friday, November 7, 2008

Considering the Jharkhand Foundation day as the most opportune time to showcase its achievements, the State UPA would hold a meeting on Saturday to chalk out plans to use the occasion to announce several projects as poll sop.

Dropping hints about the intention of the State Government to announce several projects to benefit the poor section of the society, State RJD president Gautam Sagar Rana told The Pioneer that the UPA allies would discuss the foundation day preparations of Jharkhand.

The State Government has decided to turn the foundation day as a mega event and requested the UPA allies of the State to “stand united” on this occasion.

But casting damper upon proposed 'stand united' show the MLAs of the State Congress criticised Chief Minister Shibu Soren for calling such meeting without addressing the core demands of the party.

While stating that the party MLAs had no information about the meeting, Congress MLA Niel Tirkeysquarely blamed the JMM chief for cornering and ignoring the core demands of the Congress including proper implementation of the developmental projects in the State.

"Such meetings would be a sham and a worthless exercise at a time when we have not been able to deliver the promises made to the people," he lamented. Although Congress MLA Sukhdev Bhagat said that he was not intimated about the agenda of the meeting, leader of the Congress members of the Legislative Assembly Manoj Yadav claimed that he has told them about it.