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BJP, Congress spar over tribal identity and governance failure in Jharkhand
Launching a scathing attack on the ruling coalition, Marandi accused the Congress and the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) of engaging in divisive politics aimed at fracturing the tribal community for political gains. Addressing a press conference at the BJP state headquarters, Marandi hit back at the Congress for opposing the ‘Adivasi Samagam’ (Tribal Conclave) in Delhi.
A fierce war of words erupted in Jharkhand as the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress traded sharp allegations over tribal rights, religious identities, and governance issues.
The Leader of the Opposition, Babulal Marandi, and the Jharkhand Pradesh Congress Committee General Secretary, Alok Kumar Dubey, accused each other of employing British-style “divide and rule” tactics.
Launching a scathing attack on the ruling coalition, Marandi accused the Congress and the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) of engaging in divisive politics aimed at fracturing the tribal community for political gains. Addressing a press conference at the BJP state headquarters, Marandi hit back at the Congress for opposing the ‘Adivasi Samagam’ (Tribal Conclave) in Delhi.
He issued a stern warning that any conspiracy to divide society and undermine fundamental tribal rights would fail under all circumstances, declaring, “Dividing and fracturing society is in Congress’ nature; we will not allow this conspiracy to succeed.”
Marandi asserted that there is a deep cultural link between tribal and larger Hindu identities, stating, “There is no difference between Sarna, Sanatan, and Hindu; they share fundamental similarities.”
He explained that these traditions centre on nature worship, specifically honouring trees, mountains, stones, water bodies, and Mother Earth. He argued these identities are defined by birth rather than conversion, pointing out, “The truth is that there is absolutely no tradition of ‘making’ someone a Hindu; one is born into it.”
Taking aim at history, the opposition leader remarked that the Congress party was founded during the British era to serve as a “safety valve” following the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857. Labelling the party a “spiritual offspring of the British,” he added, “Mahatma Gandhi had advised the dissolution of the Congress party, but Congress turned a deaf ear to his words.”
He further accused the state government of using PESA Act rules to undermine tribal customary systems while remaining silent on tactical conversions to Christianity and Islam. Emphasizing the need to protect indigenous landmarks from land mafias, Marandi stated, “There is an urgent need to preserve, safeguard, and develop all worship sites belonging to the tribal communities.”
Countering these statements, Alok Kumar Dubey, General Secretary of the Jharkhand Pradesh Congress Committee, issued a sharp rebuttal, asserting that the BJP’s politics have consistently aimed at dividing society and pitting people against one another. Dubey accused the BJP of weaponizing polarization, whether through the “insider-outsider” debate, Hindu-Muslim friction, or religious conversion, to distract the public from pressing socio-economic challenges.
The Congress General Secretary declared, “Ever since the inception of the BJP and the RSS, their politics have been founded upon the ‘divide and rule’ policy.” He stated that while the Congress party has always believed in taking all communities along together, the BJP remains constantly engaged in fragmenting society.
Dubey sharply criticized the opposition’s stance on tribal welfare, alleging, “The BJP is evading the implementation of the Sarna Religious Code and is playing with the sentiments of the tribal community.” He questioned why the BJP fears legislative frameworks like the PESA Act which are designed to empower indigenous populations.
Turning the focus toward basic governance, the Congress leader argued that the BJP intentionally uses temple-mosque debates to mask its economic failures. “Today, the people of the country and the state are grappling with fundamental problems such as inflation, unemployment, a declining economy, incidents of sexual assault, crises regarding electricity and water supply, and issues within the healthcare and education sectors,” Dubey pointed out.
Citing the current electricity crisis in Uttar Pradesh, Dubey noted that citizens struggle to access basic amenities even in BJP-ruled states. He concluded that the Congress party will continue to fight for genuine public concerns and firmly counter the BJP’s polarising narrative.
