Politics has intensified over the controversial statement of Jharkhand Congress MLA Shilpi Neha Tirkey in which she allegedly compared migrant workers hailing from Biharis with undocumented Bangladeshi nationals. The Congress MLA had suggested that the people of Bihar were responsible for the demographic change in the tribal dominated State.
The Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is continuously raising the issue of Bangladeshi infiltration in Jharkhand where the subject of demographic change is a contentious issue. Last week, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had also raised the issue while addressing a rally in Ranchi and had claimed that if BJP comes to power, it will issue a white paper on the demographic situation of the State.
On Saturday, while responding to the allegation of BJP leaders regarding demographic change in the Santhal region, Ms. Tirkey indirectly compared Bangladeshis with Biharis.
“Those who talk about demographic change in Santhal should start it from Ranchi. In the State capital, the tribals who are natives of the State have been kept under the carpet like dust. The tribals are kept in some corner. What is the situation of Ramgarh today, who becomes the mukhiya (panchayat head). A Bihari who comes from Bihar becomes mukhiya in Ramgarh. Demographic change has taken place in the entire State and the discussion should start from Ranchi, we will talk about Santhal later,” Ms. Tirkey said.
The BJP leaders of Bihar and Jharkhand have hit back at Ms. Tirkey over her statement. Newly appointed Bihar BJP State president Dilip Jaiswal called her an immature politician.
“Going by her statement, it seems that she is an immature politician. If a politician does not know the difference between foreign infiltration and people of our own country, then it is not right for me to say much about her. The people of our country have the right to stay and do business anywhere in the country. Why so much hatred from Bihari. As far as the relation of Bihar and Jharkhand is concerned, it is roti-beti [kin and kitchen] relation,” Mr. Jaiswal said on Sunday.
In Jharkhand, the Bihari community is around seven-10% of total population and plays an important role in forming the government in the State.
Union Minister, and national president of Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), Chirag Paswan accused the Congress party of engaging in a politics of division.
“Time and again the Opposition leaders make an attempt to divide people on the basis of caste, religion, and region. If you look at any State, you will find a Bihari playing an important role in the top position. You will find a Bihari in a big business house, media house, maximum IAS and IPS hails from Bihar. Those who are talking like this are making a conspiracy to divide people on the basis of region,” Mr. Paswan said.
Ms. Tirkey, MLA from Mandar seat is the daughter of former legislator Bandhu Tirkey and had won the by poll in June 2022, after her father was disqualified in a corruption case.
On July, 28 Senior BJP leader and Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar Vijay Kumar Sinha lashed out at Congress MLA and termed her statement unfortunate.
“Jharkhand was part of Bihar and today also the people of Jharkhand feel proud by calling themselves Bihari. Having such feelings about Bihari proves that Congress party is doing the politics of appeasement in which the Bangladeshi have become their well-wishers and Bihari are pariah,” Mr. Sinha alleged.
Jharkhand BJP’s State spokesperson Pratul Sahdev also reacted strongly saying that Congress MLA should understand that Muslim intruders from Bangladesh have illegally come from other countries and settled in Santhal and other areas of Jharkhand whereas people from Bihar have settled here under the law of their country.
“By comparing these two, she has introduced petty politics. Congress has a long history of appeasing Muslim votes and doing vote bank politics. The population of tribals in Santhal has decreased by 16% and the population of Muslims has increased by 13%. All Congressmen are silent on this. I want to know from Rahul Gandhi and State Congress president Rajesh Thakur whether they also consider the infiltrators from Bangladesh and the people who have settled in Bihar to be the same?” Mr. Sahdev said.
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