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Champai blasts Jharkhand government after Santhal Parganas Foundation Day programme called off
Soren’s outburst came after the Sidho-Kanhu Hul Foundation (SKHF) cancelled its Santhal Parganas Foundation Day celebration on Monday, citing administrative over-activism and hindrances, late Sunday evening. Champai Soren was to attend the event as the chief guest.
Former Jharkhand chief minister and senior BJP leader Champai Soren on Monday hit out at the state government following the cancellation of the Santhal Parganas Foundation Day programme and dared the Hemant Soren-led regime to prevent the Hul Diwas celebration at Bhognadih in Sahebganj district on June 30 next year.
Soren’s outburst came after the Sidho-Kanhu Hul Foundation (SKHF) cancelled its Santhal Parganas Foundation Day celebration on Monday, citing administrative over-activism and hindrances, late Sunday evening. Soren was to attend the event as the chief guest.
“The Santhal Parganas Foundation Day celebration event in Bhognadih on Monday had to be cancelled by the SKHF late Sunday evening due to the roadblocks created by the Sahebganj district administration. The administration deliberately hatched a conspiracy to derail the event as soon as it became public that I would be the chief guest. On June 30, 2026, lakhs of tribals from Jharkhand, West Bengal and Odisha will come to celebrate Hul Diwas. Stall it, if the state government can,” Soren told HT on Monday.
He alleged that the Sahebganj district administration held back the application by the SKHF, led by Mandal Murmu, descendant of Sidho-Kanhu Murmu, to hold a football tournament and cultural programme on Santhal Parganas Foundation Day for two weeks.
“Last year, the administration had no problem with this event, but this year they deputed dozens of magistrates and made heavy deployment of security forces. Have you ever heard of two magistrates being posted at a football match or a magistrate being deputed at the residence of the organisers? They set over a dozen conditions, like depositing a list of 30 volunteers with Aadhaar cards at the police station. No gate outside the stadium… if you don’t allow people to walk on the road, how will they reach—drop from the sky? If this is not an autocracy or dictatorship, what is?” questioned Champai.
He reminded that there was a government event at Bhognadih on Hul Diwas on June 30 last year, but there was no such event on Monday this time.
“This government charged lathis and tear gas on tribal farmers at Nagri. Such programmes are easily and smoothly held in other states, but not here. Has the government banned me or some individuals and organisations? If so, why doesn’t it announce it publicly? Is the government afraid of me? They delayed the permission till late Saturday night so that the high court could not be approached. Yet, it sent notices to the organisers citing apprehension of law and order problems,” said Champai.
Reacting sharply, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) central committee member and former party candidate from Seraikela, Ganesh Mahali, accused Champai of misleading gullible tribals and tarnishing the state government’s image using the ‘Bhognadih’ issue.
“Champai Soren repeatedly challenges the same government, but on the ground, he is always missing and misleading the people. The former CM is playing the adivasi (tribal) card to hide his own failures and hatching fake conspiracies against the government. His politics has failed in the Santhal Parganas,” Mahali told a press conference at Seraikela on Monday.
He said that the huge crowd on Hul Diwas showed that the Hemant Soren government was the real well-wisher of tribals and moolvasis. “Champai Soren is using the people of Santhal Parganas only to save his political existence. But the people of the state are now well aware of his acts,” Mahali added.
