‘Love, land jihad’ rampant: Shah slams Soren govt in Jharkhand

New Delhi, July 20

Union Home Minister Amit Shah today flagged “love jihad” and “land jihad” as real challenges in the opposition INDIA bloc-ruled Jharkhand, accusing Chief Minister Hemant Soren of looking the other way.

Addressing a meeting of the BJP’s Jharkhand unit, Shah claimed the saffron party would form a majority government in the state after the upcoming Assembly elections. He said the “ongoing infiltration was taking away jobs from the youth of the state”.

Tribals suffering

The Soren govt is focused on increasing its vote bank. The tribal population in Jharkhand is decreasing amid rising love jihad. —Amit Shah, Union Home Minister

“Hemant Soren’s government is focused on increasing its vote bank. The tribal population in Jharkhand is decreasing. ‘Land jihad’ and ‘love jihad’ are occurring, but Soren and Congress are silent,” said Shah. He claimed the BJP government would introduce a white paper to safeguard the land, population and reservations of the tribal communities in the state.

The Union Home Minister also attacked the Soren government as “India’s most corrupt”. At a time when the BJP cadres are said to be demoralised for the party not winning a full Lok Sabha mandate on its own, Shah said, “The foundation of the BJP’s election victories lies in its booth-level workers. It is because of them that the BJP has formed the government for the third time at the Centre.” Shah accused Congress MP Rahul Gandhi of arrogance. “We have seen people becoming arrogant after victories. But I am seeing for the first time people becoming arrogant after loss,” Shah said in a reference to the Leader of the Opposition.

“What is the Congress’ arrogance about — entrenched nepotism, corruption, appeasement or their policies that undermined national security?” asked Shah.