Ranchi Bureau, Ranchi: Chief Minister Hemant Soren once again targeted his political opponents on Thursday. Speaking at the Prabhat Tara Ground in the capital during a loan waiver program for 1.77 lakh farmers, worth over ₹400 crore, he stated that when they demand their rights, they are thrown into jail. However, the people of Jharkhand are not afraid of jail or police batons. He reminded everyone that Jharkhand was won through struggle, and they will continue to fight for their rights.
Soren further said that the opposition continuously leveled false allegations against him, and eventually, they even imprisoned him. He added that if a government that works with good intentions and honesty is harassed with false accusations, it is cursed by the poor. “With your blessings, I stand before you once again,” he said, urging people to be cautious as elections are approaching and opposition parties are circling like vultures. He warned that unfamiliar faces will appear during the election, but they will disappear afterward.
The Chief Minister mentioned that when they provide employment to the unemployed, dignity to women, education to daughters, and work to laborers, the opposition goes to court and disrupts the schemes. Now, as they are giving respect to farmers, he expressed concern that the opposition might take this issue to court as well. He promised to win all these battles. He pointed out that the BJP governed the state for the majority of the time since its creation, but achieved nothing. He accused them of attempting to destroy the state’s water, forests, and land, while fueling divisions between Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, and Christians for political gain.
Soren criticized the BJP, calling its members businessmen. He claimed they have so much money that they buy governments where they lose, citing Maharashtra as an example. Where they cannot buy governments, they frame leaders in false cases, jail them, and change the government. While they have no money for MSP, loan waivers, or pensions for farmers, he said they are quick to forgive the debts of large capitalists.
He said that industrialists have so much money that it would take a lifetime to count, yet they still talk about doubling farmers’ income, while ordering police action against the same farmers. He praised farmers for their year-long protest at Delhi’s borders, which forced the government to repeal the three controversial farm laws. This, he said, is the strength of the nation’s food providers.
He highlighted his government’s achievement in waiving loans of up to ₹50,000 for farmers, and now they are working on waiving loans up to ₹2 lakh. He acknowledged the state’s poverty, stating that for the farmers, land is their bank and crops are their ATM. Farmers take loans to farm, and when crops fail due to weather, they drown in debt.
“Now they have their eyes on the forests”
He accused industrialists of being given a forest in Chhattisgarh, where protests are ongoing. He warned that if these forces return to power, they might also hand over Jharkhand’s forests. He said the country has been sold off, with assets being sold, and now they are preparing to sell forests, aiming to destroy the tribal population.
“Grow not just vegetables, but also fruits and flowers”
Soren encouraged farmers not only to grow seasonal grains and vegetables but also to cultivate fruits and flowers, like those grown in Kashmir. He suggested that farmers could raise livestock, and fulfill the state’s demand for meat, fish, and eggs instead of relying on other states, thereby increasing their income.
Present at the event
The event was attended by State Finance Minister Dr. Rameshwar Oraon, Labor and Industry Minister Satyanand Bhogta, Agriculture Minister Deepika Pandey Singh, MLA Rajesh Kacchap, MP Dr. Mahua Maji, State Congress President Keshav Mahto Kamlesh, former Congress State President Rajesh Thakur, CM’s Additional Chief Secretary Avinash Kumar, and departmental secretary Abu Bakar Siddique, among others.
