Babulal Marandi addresses the crowd in Jharia. Picture by Gautam Dey

Jharia, Jan. 24: JVM supremo Babulal Marandi today threw his weight behind the fire-affected families in Jharia, saying that a conspiracy had been hatched to evict them.

“Our party will foil the plan to destabilise the Jharia township. In protest, we will launch an economic blockade in the coal capital on March 9-10. Transport of all minerals, including coal, from Dhanbad will be disrupted,” Marandi declared while addressing a public meeting at the children’s park, Jharia.

Earlier in the day, the JVM chief had led a rally, Jharia Koylanchal Bacho Sankalp Maha Rally, from Kendua. The procession wound its way through Dhansar, Bastacola, RSP College and Katras before meeting at the children’s park.

Other leaders of the party, including Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly Pradeep Yadav, Bokaro MLA Samresh Singh, Baghmara MLA Dhullu Mahto and Sindri MLA Phulchand Mandal were also present.

Exhorting the 5,000-strong crowd to support the party in its struggle to save Jharia, Marandi said: “The blasts that are being carried out in nearby collieries of Jharia are causing cracks in the walls of houses in Koiri Bandh locality. Many houses have got damaged as well. This is nothing but a deliberate ploy to terrorise the people of the area so that they leave Jharia.”

Launching an attack on the state government for indulging in eyewash in the name of development, Marandi said: “The government is only busy signing MoUs. If all MoUs are implemented, the state will be deep in rehabilitation problems.”

“The governments in Jharkhand are unstable because these are formed with the help of horse-trading,” he added.