JMM, Congress attack Modi government

Ranchi, May 26: The JMM and the Congress today launched blistering attacks on the BJP-led government that completed two years in power at the Centre.

Leading the offensive, the state's principal Opposition party JMM called the Narendra Modi government a " dholpitwa" (one who beats his own drum), who had failed on every front - domestic as well as diplomatic - during the first two years in office.

"There is no control on the inflation, the price rise has severely hit the poor and middle class while bad loans have pushed the banks on the verge of collapse," said JMM working president Hemant Soren during a news meet at his Kanke Road residence in Ranchi today.

"Farmers in Maharashtra are forced to sell onion at throwaway prices; our relations with neighbouring countries like Nepal have deteriorated; but the BJP government has been busy making announcements and launching new projects over the past two years. It is a dholpitwa sarkar," Hemant added.

The Congress today held a news conference and a rally to highlight the failures of the Modi government.

AICC spokesperson Rita Bahuguna, who arrived here from Lucknow to lead the attack, said that the BJP government's achievements included only polarisation of masses on religious and communal lines and prosecution of students on the name of law and order. She also accused the BJP of protecting the interests of corporates, defaulters and fugitives like Vijay Malaya and Lalit Modi.

"The country had never faced such a bad situation... even essential commodities are out of poor people's reach. Fuel prices have dropped by 54 per cent in international markets, but the country has witnessed only 16 per cent decrease. Where has the rest of the money gone?' Bahuguna asked.

While defaulters like Vijay Malya were allowed to safely escape the country, poor farmers were being harassed on the name of loan recovery.

"Modi had promised good days for farmers, but they are being forced to work as daily wage labourers. Water crisis and drought are forcing farmers to commit suicide in different parts of the country. But PM has no time to visit aggrieved people," she said.

Around 1,000 Congress workers, led by former Union minister Subodh Kant Sahay and party spokesperson Lal Kishore Nath Shahdeo, took out a protest march from Albert Ekka Chowk to Raj Bhavan around noon.

Later, a Congress delegation submitted a memorandum to governor Droupadi Murmu, pointing out failures of the Modi government in the Centre and the Raghubar Das government in the state.

"The Das government started with a bang, and within a year and half ended up in a whimper. The local residents' policy announced by the government has disappointed people," Sahay said.

Rajya Sabha polls

Senior JMM leader Hemant Soren today said that the party was considering fielding its own candidate for the upcoming Rajya Sabha poll.

"At this juncture, I can only say that the party may stake its claim on the seat. But a final decision will be taken by the party," said the Leader of the Opposition in the state Assembly.

Congress nominee Dhiraj Prasad Sahu has already expressed his wish to contest the Upper House seat for the second consecutive term.

JMM has altogether 19 MLAs, Congress seven and JDU has two legislators, besides other smaller parties and Independents. One needs 28 first preference votes to win a Rajya Sabha seat in Jharkhand. It is still not clear whether the BJP will contest for only one seat or will go for both, the elections for which are scheduled for June 11.