The main Opposition party in the State Assembly, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), on Friday announced that it would take to the streets from Saturday in protest against Jharkhand government’s proposed Domicile Policy.
“We will take to the streets from Saturday across the Kolhan region from where a separate Jharkhand Statehood movement was kicked off decades ago. We will even oppose the proposed visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 24,” senior vice-president of JMM Champai Soren said.
Addressing a press conference at Seraikela after a party meeting on Friday, Mr. Soren, who is the local MLA, accompanied by party MLAs Deepak Birua, Dasrath Gagrai and Paulus Surin, said the party would take out a procession to oppose the PM’s visit and show black flag in protest against the proposed policy, which, they described, was not in the interest of the State.
Advocating for the last land survey record (1964) as the cut off year for the domicile policy, the JMM leaders said the eligibility of a being resident of Jharkhand as defined by the government was against the interest of the State.
The State government on Thursday decided to consider anyone living in Jharkhand for the last 30 years and more as resident of the State, he said alleging that the government aimed to benefit outsiders and not the locals of the State.
Double benefit
The State government aimed to extend double benefit to the outsiders including the benefit of their home State, Mr. Birua said describing the proposed policy as “BJP’s Residential Policy” and not that of the people of the State.
Mr. Birua said protest against the government’s approach has already begun as the effigy of the state government was burnt at several places in the State, including Seraikela on Friday. - PTI
