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Jharkhand’s ex-CM Babulal Marandi ‘stamped’, put in home quarantine after Delhi return
The state government had issued a notification last week underlining that anyone entering Jharkhand from any other state by any means of transport would have to stay in mandatory 14-day home quarantine.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Jharkhand has accused the state government of targeting its legislature party leader Babulal Marandi, who was put in mandatory home quarantine by the administration after he returned from Delhi on Sunday night.
A stamp of home quarantine was also put on Marandi’s hand upon his arrival at Ranchi airport from New Delhi.
Marandi, a former chief minister, had gone to the national capital last week on a two-day trip for party-related work and had met Union home minister Amit Shah, besides top party functionaries.
The state government had issued a notification last week underlining that anyone entering Jharkhand from any other state by any means of transport would have to stay in mandatory 14-day home quarantine.
Reacting to Marandi’s quarantine, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey said it was an act of “desperation” on part of the Hemant Soren-led JMM government.
State BJP spokesperson Pratul Shahdeo said the Soren government was scared of Marandi. “The fear of this government is for all to see. The Hemant Soren government has put a home quarantine stamp on the BJP legislature party leader’s hand. Why was the same stamp not put on the CM’s hands when he himself went into home quarantine for a week,” said Shahdeo.
The JMM, meanwhile, said officials were only following protocol. “The government has issued a clear notification for all those coming to the state from outside. The rule applies to all,” JMM general secretary Supriyo Bhattacharya said.
