Shahnaz M, TwoCircles.net
Ranchi (Jharkhand): Ahead of the Jharkhand Assembly elections, which are scheduled to be held on November 13 and 20, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is apparently leaving no stone unturned to plarise voters on religious line and galvanise its vote base in the state — using divisive rhetoric.
This rhetoric forms part of the BJP’s campaign in Jharkhand, where Union Home Minister Amit Shah has also made controversial statements. At a rally in Sahibganj in September, he accused the ruling the incumbent Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), the Congress and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) of aiding “infiltration” for votes. He vowed that the BJP would rid the state of “Rohingya and Bangladeshi infiltrators” and pledged to form a government with a two-thirds majority.
Shah said, “The BJP will free Jharkhand of Rohingya and Bangladeshi infiltrators and hang them upside down.”
His comments, aimed at stoking fears of illegal immigration, are seen as a way to further inflame communal tensions while positioning the BJP as the protector of Hindu interests.
This theme continued in other BJP rallies, with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath accusing the JMM-led coalition of “patronizing” mafia elements in Jharkhand. He urged voters to elect the BJP and promised that the party would “bulldoze” the mafia, similar to the actions taken against criminal groups in Uttar Pradesh.
In a rally at Koderma, Adityanath also invoked historical references to attack the opposition. He claimed, “Like Aurangzeb looted the country’s wealth and destroyed temples, the JMM-led coalition and its ministers, including Alamgir Alam, looted Jharkhand’s people.”
He further claimed that the BJP was the “only party” that could guarantee national security, women’s empowerment and youth employment.
According to critics, this rhetoric is designed to distract voters from pressing issues such as rising unemployment and inflation by focusing on symbolic issues such as the Ram Temple construction and illegal immigration.
The BJP’s aggressive campaigning has also extended to discussions about the “outsider” status of certain political figures. On November 1, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who is co-in-charge of the BJP’s Jharkhand campaign, lashed out at Chief Minister Hemant Soren for calling BJP leaders “outsiders.”
Sarma challenged Soren to take action against Ghulam Ahmad Mir, the Congress in-charge for Jharkhand, before criticising BJP leaders. He asserted, “Can’t Himanta Biswa Sarma visit Jharkhand? Is a green card given to a particular community? First, Mir (Ghulam Ahmad Mir) should be pushed back, then you push me as well. I challenge Hemant Soren to first push back Mir, then next day, I will also leave.”
Sarma went on to accuse the JMM of bringing in “outsiders” like Cabinet Minister Irfan Ansari and former Minister Alamgir Alam, while claiming that Hindus had become “outsiders” in the state under Soren’s rule. He said, “Hemant Soren is the one bringing the outsiders. Today, Hindus have become outsiders, but Irfan Ansari and Alamgir Alam are not outsiders, but Shivraj Singh Chouhan (Union Minister and in-charge of Jharkhand election) and Himanta Biswa Sarma have become outsiders.”
Sarma further questioned why leaders like Rahul Gandhi and Ghulam Ahmad Mir, who are not from Jharkhand, are allowed to visit but BJP leaders are not. He said, “Why Rahul Gandhi came here, which place he belongs? Which place Mir Sahab belongs to? If Mir can come from Jammu and Kashmir, then why not Himanta from Assam?”
The BJP’s claims about tackling illegal immigration were also reinforced by Sarma, who vowed that the BJP would “legally throw out all the Bangladeshi infiltrators from Jharkhand”. He added that his party would form the government and deal with “infiltrators” once in power.
Meanwhile, Sarma also criticised Soren for not taking any action against Irfan Ansari, who allegedly made derogatory remarks about BJP leader Sita Soren. Sarma posted on social media, “In Jharkhand, public money reaches the house of Miya Alamgir Alam. Miya Irfan Ansari speaks nonsense about the Chief Minister’s sister-in-law and a tribal leader, but nothing happens to him. Whose government is the JMM-Congress? Is it only for one community?”
In response to Sarma’s statements, former Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MLA and candidate from Hussainabad, Kushwaha Shivpujan Mehta, filed a complaint in the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate Medininagar in Palamu district. He has accused Sarma of creating communal tension.
Mehta specifically pointed to Sarma’s controversial comments during a meeting at Karpuri Maidan, where Sarma suggested that if BJP came to power, the name of Hussainabad would be changed and it would be made a district.
Meanwhile, leaders of the INDIA bloc — comprising the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), the Congress and the Left parties — have raised concerns over the inflammatory speeches delivered by Assam Chief Minister and BJP leader Himanta Biswa Sarma, accusing him of stoking communal tensions to benefit the BJP in the upcoming polls.
On November 2, the INDIA bloc wrote to the Chief Electoral Officer of Jharkhand, urging immediate action against Sarma for his remarks made during a rally in Sarath on November 1. The INDIA bloc leaders pointed out that Sarma’s speech specifically targeted Muslim minorities, accusing him of playing divisive politics. The letter stated, “It clearly establishes that by stoking the flames of hatred and resentment, Sarma seeks to polarize the electorate and consolidate power for his agenda.”
They condemned the speech as an example of the BJP’s strategy to “ignite social unrest” and “jeopardize the election process,” calling the rhetoric “laden with prejudice and discrimination, and replete with divisive language.” The INDIA bloc also expressed concerns about the potential impact of such rhetoric on public safety, warning that it could fuel extremist ideologies and hate crimes.
“Our party is apprehensive that extremist ideologies and hate crimes can happen as a direct result of the toxic environment created by such rhetoric of Himanta Biswa Sarma. Clearly, the BJP and Sarma want to focus on divisive issues to divert attention from the real problems facing our state, especially in light of the total failure of the Central Government led by the BJP in controlling inflation and rising unemployment rates in the country,” they said.
The INDIA bloc leaders urged the Election Commission to take strong action against Sarma, asserting that legal frameworks should be strengthened to address hate speech and incitement to violence. The letter further stated, “If no action is taken by the Commission in the next 24 hours, we will be constrained to move to appropriate legal forums for legal remedy in which the Commission will then have to explain its failure to constrain this highly deplorable action of Himanta Biswa Sarma.”
In response, Sarma dismissed the allegations, defending his speech by claiming that advocating for Hindus does not mean targeting Muslims. His comments reflect the broader strategy employed by the BJP, which continues to engage in what critics say is a deliberate attempt to divide communities and rally Hindu voters around issues of identity.
Addressing an election meeting, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren also criticised the BJP for invoking contentious issues such as the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) with an aim to polarise voters on religious lines. “We have made it clear that neither the NRC nor the UCC will work here; only the CNT Act, the SPT Act and the PESA law will prevail,” he asserted.
Established by the British in 1908, the Chotanagpur Tenancy (CNT) Act is a land rights legislation aimed at protecting the land rights of tribal populations in Jharkhand. Similarly, the Santhal Pargana Tenancy (SPTA) Act safeguards the rights of Adivasi communities in the Santhal Pargana region of the state. Both Acts were passed to protect tribal people from exploitation and to ensure they have greater control over their land and development. The Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act (PESA) grants special powers to Gram Sabhas (village councils) in Scheduled Areas, particularly in the management of natural resources.
Soren highlighted the presence of helicopters at Ranchi airport, suggesting they belonged to the Opposition (the BJP) leaders. “We must unite to challenge this influence,” he urged.
He also took aim at Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, noting the disconnect between his claims of supporting tribal welfare and the lack of Adivasi status for many in Assam.
“In the next five years, the BJP will find no recognition in Jharkhand,” Soren stated, emphasising on “divisive tactics”. He questioned the BJP’s claims of eradicating Naxalism, pointing out the shift from five election phases to just two as evidence of improvement in the region’s security situation.