BJP boycotts TAC meet over ‘unconstitutional’ regulations, JMM hits back

The three BJP legislators, who have been appointed members in the newly constituted Tribes Advisory Council (TAC), boycotted a meeting of the panel on Monday, alleging that the TAC regulations notified by the state government earlier this month violates schedule fifth of the Constitution

The three BJP legislators, who have been appointed members in the newly constituted Tribes Advisory Council (TAC), boycotted a meeting of the panel on Monday, alleging that the TAC regulations notified by the state government earlier this month violates schedule fifth of the Constitution.

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The party also listed other faults in regulations, including lack of provision to a “tribal essentially being made chairman of the council”, besides many provisions of quota for a woman and a representative from primitive tribal group (PVTG).

Traditionally, the chief minister is the ex-officio chairman of the TAC council. Till now all chief ministers in Jharkhand have been tribals, barring Raghubar Das, who was in power from 2014 to 2019.

TAC is an advisory body to deliberate, suggest and even review the government’s decisions and policies related to tribal rights and development.

The Hemant Soren government on June 4 cleared the new regulations, that were notified on June 7, giving the authority of appointing members of the 18-member council to the chief minister. The power earlier lied in the hands of the Governor. The government later constituted the new panel, which includes the three BJP legislators, besides two non-elected members.

“The new regulations are unconstitutional, as they violate the spirt of the Constitution’s fifth schedule. Instead of making the CM its ex-officio chairman, a provision should have been made that only a tribal can head the council. Besides, we had demanded that there should be a permanent seat for a woman and a representative of PVTG, but the government turned it down. The present woman member is by virtue of being a legislator. So, we have decided to boycott the TAC meeting till they amend the rules,” said BJP legislature party leader Babulal Marandi.

Besides Marandi, former BJP minister Neelkanth Singh Munda and legislator Koche Munda are the two other members of the council.

Reacting to the development, JMM general secretary Supriyo Bhattacharya held a press conference and charged the BJP of diverting people’s mind on a day the chief minister again pledged the government’s commitment towards development of tribals.

“Babulal Marandi should answer whether CM Hemant Soren, who is heading the panel, is not a tribal. Is Sita Soren not a woman member in the panel? And as far as PVTG representation is concerned, one seat is still vacant in the panel. He should have waited a while. In fact, Marandi should be rest assured that a non-tribal will not hold the TAC chairman chair, as BJP is not going to return to power in the state for 50 years,” the JMM leader said, taking a swipe at the BJP leader in an apparent reference to allotment of Raghubar Das as the only non-tribal CM of the state.

On the issue of conditionality of regulations for giving appointment power to the CM, Bhattacharya reminded that it was the BJP government in Chhatisgarh that first made a similar move in 2006, and the Hemant Soren government was just following it’s footsteps.

“The decision of the Raman Singh government in Chhattisgarh was challenged in court, but both the High Court and the Supreme Court refused to strike it down,” said Bhattacharya.