Category: Jharkhand

Seven more ministers to be inducted in Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren cabinet.

Source – newindianexpress.com

RANCHI: Seven Ministers will be inducted in the cabinet when the Chief Minister Hemant Soren expands his cabinet for the first time on Tuesday.

The cabinet expansion will take place in Raj Bhavan here on Tuesday at 4 p.m.

Five MLAs from the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and two from the Congress will take oath as the cabinet Ministers.

Hemant Soren took oath as Chief Minister on December 29 along with two Congress and one Rashtriya Janata Dal Legislators as the Ministers.

The two Congress Legislators who will take oath on Tuesday include Banna Gupta and Sri Badal.

The five JMM Legislators to take oath are Champai Soren, Haji Hussain Ansari, Jaggarntah Mahto, Jobha Manjhi and Mithilesh Thakur.

The JMM, Congress and RJD alliance had won 30, 16 and one seats in 81-member Assembly respectively.

One more held for Jharkhand massacre, 16 arrested so far.

Source – thehindu.com

One more person has been arrested in connection with the killing of seven people allegedly by ‘Pathalgarhi’ movement supporters at Burugulikera village in Jharkhand’s West Singhbhum district last week, taking the total number of arrests to 16, police said on Tuesday.

Martin Logma, 27, was arrested on Monday and produced before a local court in Chakradharpur, which sent him to 14-days judicial custody, an official release said.

The other 15 accused, aged between 19 and 60 years, were arrested on Sunday and charged with murder and rioting, among others, it said.

They were produced before the court of sub-divisional judicial magistrate, Chakradharpur on Monday which sent them to 14-days judicial custody, the release said.

Supporters of ‘Pathalgarhi’ movement had allegedly kidnapped the seven villagers of Burugulikera in Guddi block on January 21 and killed them for allegedly opposing their stir. Their mutilated bodies were recovered from a forest, around 4 kilometres from the village the next day.

Proponents of ‘Pathalgarhi’, a tribal movement, want that no laws of the land should apply to the tribal people.

They write tenets on large stones and erect them in their areas of influence.

The killings that took place days after the JMM- Congress-RJD coalition government assumed power in the state on December 29, triggered widespread outrage and Chief Minister Hemant Soren ordered an investigation by a special investigation team (SIT).

Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren expands Cabinet, inducts 7 ministers.

Source – tribuneindia.com

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Tuesday expanded his one-month-old Cabinet, inducting seven ministers in the Council of Ministers.

Governor Droupadi Murmu administered the oath of office and secrecy to the newly inducted ministers in a simple ceremony at Raj Bhavan here.

Five of the new ministers are from the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha and two belong to the Congress.

The JMM-Congress-RJD coalition government assumed power in the state on December 29 last year, ousting the BJP-led regime.

Soren inducted Champai Soren, Haji Hussain Ansari, Jagarnath Mahato, Joba Manjhi, Mithilesh Kumar Thakur (all from the JMM), Banna Gupta and Badal Patralekh (both from the Congress).

Mahato and Thakur are first-time ministers and Manjhi had been a minister in previous NDA governments before she joined the JMM. The other four had been ministers in the previous UPA governments.

With five newly inducted ministers belonging to the JMM, the senior ruling party has six members in the council of ministers, including the chief minister, while the Congress has four and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) one.

Now the council of ministers has 11 members, leaving the scope to induct one more minister.

As per the constitutional provisions, Jharkhand can have a maximum of 12 ministers including the chief minister.

The previous Raghubar Das government had run the dispensation with only 11 ministers all through its five-year term.

It was the first expansion after Soren took oath as the 11th chief minister of Jharkhand on December 29, 2019 along with Congress leaders Alamgir Alam and Rameshwar Oraon and Satyanand Bhokta of the RJD.

The expansion of ministry was earlier scheduled to be held on January 24. It was postponed at the request of the chief minister in the wake of the killings of seven villagers in West Singhbhum district.

Jharkhand to become first state in India to have four sub-capitals.

Source – newindianexpress.com

NEW DELHI: In a first, Jharkhand will soon become the only state in the country to have four sub-capitals along with the state capital Ranchi.

Besides Dumka, which has already been declared as the sub-capital during the regime of Chief Minister Babulal Marandi, Jharkhand will have three new sub-capitals – Medininagar, Chaibasa and Giridih.   

Sources in government claimed that the process for same has already been started and a proposal for making Medininagar, Chaibasa and Giridih as sub-capitals of state has been prepared.   

“The proposal has already been prepared which is waiting for CM’s endorsement following which, it will be sent for the cabinet approval,” said a senior officer.

The objective behind the proposal is to enable uniform development in all divisions of the state which so far, have been lagging behind due to various constraints, he added.   

The official added that creation of sub-capital would bring employment opportunities for the people in the three divisions of Palamu, Kolhan and North Choanagpur.

Jharkhand: 3 weeks on, CM Hemat Soren yet to expand cabinet.

Source – indiatoday.in

On December 29, when Hemant Soren took over as Jharkhand’s 11th chief minister, he allowed three ministers – two from the Congress and one from the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) to take oath with him. More than three weeks after the swearing-in, Hemant Soren is yet to expand his cabinet too. He has not even allotted potfolios to the three ministers already sworn-n.

According to sources, the most important reason for the delay in cabinet expansion in Jharkhand is that Soren’s ally Congress is insisting on five berths, whereas Hemant Soren is willing to give up only four.

Chief Minister Soren, who is believed to have already discussed the cabinet expansion exercise with Congress President Sonia Gandhi, also has the heavy task of satisfying the aspirations of his own party legislators, besides maintaining a fine balance between tribal and non-tribal claimants of cabinet portfolios.

In the recently concludes Assembly elections, the JMM won 30 seats, which is its highest tally in the assembly since Jharkhand was carved out of Bihar in December 2000.

While the Congress is believed to have asked for important portfolios like health, education and rural development, Soren also has to satisfy some of the senior most MLA in his party, majority of whom once worked as close associates of his father Shibu Soren. There are over half-a-dozen JMM legislators who have won the Assembly polls four-five times and are aspiring to be head a key ministry.

Incidentally, Chief Minister Hemant Soren last week postponed his cabinet expansion exercise from set date of January 24 to an unknown date in the future.

Soren, on January 23, had met Governor Draupadi Murmu to schedule the cabinet expansion on January 24. While a time was fixed and preparations were on for the swearing-in, the chief minister once again met the governor in the evening to postpone the scheduled cabinet expansion. Killing of seven tribal persons in West Singhbhum was cited as a reason for the postponement.

Earlier, Soren is believed to have delayed his cabinet expansion exercise till January 15 when kharmas, an inauspicious period in Hindu calendar, ended.

The JMM, the Congress and the RJD won 30, 16 and 1 seat, respectively. With such a majority, Hemant was expected to quickly put his act together, but ironically he has not been able to take any major decisions so far.

The 91st Amendment Act and subsequent insertion of section 1A in Article 164 of the Indian Constitution mandate that the total number of ministers, including the chief minister, in the council of ministers in a state shall not exceed 15 per cent of the total number of members of the legislative assembly of that state. With a legislative assembly of 81 elected members, Jharkhand can have a maximum of 12 ministers, including the chief minister.

A senior Congress leader told India Today TV that the party wants to have five berths in Hemant Cabinet. The Congress leaders have been arguing that since they gave up their claim to the speaker’s post, the JMM should reciprocate and give five berths.

The state leadership has conveyed its position to the Congress central leadership, which is believed to have conveyed the same to Hemant Soren.

Jharkhand: Written commitment sought to ban NPR/NRC, declare CAA black law.

Source – counterview.net

Country-wide agitations against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA)/ National Register of Citizens (NRC) took a new turn in Ranchi on the Republic Day as thousands gathered in Idgah Maidan (Kadru) for a long evening of protest songs, poems and plays. The programme, “Ek Shaam Samvidhan ke Naam”, was held to reassert the constitutional values of liberty, equality and solidarity at a time when Indian democracy is allegedly under threat.

The event was organized by a wide coalition of individuals and organisations that are active in the movement against CAA/NRC in Jharkhand. Hundreds of women who are sitting on a continuous Shaheen Bagh-style sit-in in Kadru also joined.

The event began with a painting festival for children and their posters were displayed across the venue. The programme also included a rich series of songs, poems, plays, and short films around the theme of communal harmony. Pamphlets on dangers of CAA/NRC were distributed. The cultural programme started with Jhakhandi beats on nagadas and dhol-maandal by Elina and her friends.

These cultural performances brought together some of Jharkhand’s best artists and cultural activists. Veteran folk-singer Madhu Mansuri ‘Hasmukh’, who received Padmashri on Saturday, extended support to the protests with his well-known song, “Gaon Chhodab Nahi”. He said that in Jharkhandi society, different communities have always helped and supported each other. Filmmaker Meghnath, founder of AKHRA and one of the composers of the song, quipped that now the protest anthem should be “Desh Chodab Nabi.”

The Ranchi Youth Fellowship, a choir performed gospel music, while a performer sang bhajans. Children from different mohallas were also selected to sing patriotic melodies. Student group ‘Kahab to Lag Jayi Dhak Se’ who have been part of several anti-CAA/NRC/National Population Register (NPR) protests across street corners of Ranchi sang a combination of inspiring verses. Vishwanath and Anil Anshuman performed protest songs for social rights. A band, Amazing Life, regaled the people with a peppy song of solidarity.

Some well-known Jharkhandi poets supported the protest with their words. Jacinta Kerketta has consistently questioned state narratives on tribal development. Anuj Lugun’s poetry has supported indigenous renaissance and resistance against fascism and oppression. Prof Mithilesh, Aloka Kujur, Mehul and others also recited their own poetic compositions.

A topical play was also performed by the Indian People’s Theatre Association. The programme also saw performances by Tabish Ali, a rapper, Chandosree, Aamir Ali, Amreen Azad, Zohra and many others.

A civil rights release commented, “In Jharkhand, in the last five years, a climate of fear and hate has been created especially against adivasi and minority communities due to a series of inhuman mob lynchings and violence. In this charged atmosphere and with the plans of CAA/NRC and especially after the series of recent attacks on university campuses, street protests have erupted in the state and nationwide.”

It added, “Across Jharkhand, every day in the New Year from Ranchi to Daltonganj, Jamshedpur to Dhanbad, Bokaro to Ramgarh there have been spontaneous protests by students, civil society, unions, and especially women.”

Afzal Anis, one of the leading activists against CAA/NRC said, “In the last two months, many Indians and Muslims in particular have taken to the streets with the tiranga flag and readings of the preamble of the constitution, as we realise that only if the constitution is saved will the country be saved. Since independence never before have the symbols of our democracy been so visible across India”.

As the evening progressed, even as Ranchiites enjoyed the cultural performances, one of the main demands was for the newly-elected Jharkhand government to reassure the fraught sentiments of minority and tribal communities by issuing a written commitment to ban NPR/NRC activities in the state.

They also wanted the assembly to pass a resolution to repeal the CAA. Throughout the programme, the air was rent with slogans against this an unconstitutional “black law” as a threat to the secular ethos of Indian democracy in the 71st year of the Republic.

The truth behind Pathalgadi violence in Jharkhand.

Source – outlookindia.com

The Pathalgadi movement was started to save the land and forest areas in Jharkhand, but now the movement is also marked by a series of violence. The purpose of the Pathalgadi movement was to make the Gram Sabhas omnipotent in tribal areas to reclaim their rights to ”jal, jangal and zameen”. The people wanted the Gram Sabhas to grant permission for mining and development work in their tribal areas and not by the elected government.

After the killing of seven people for opposing the movement in West Singhbhum recently, there are fears of violence in other areas too. When the Hemant Soren government came to power, it announced the withdrawal of the old sedition cases against Pathalgadi activists. This, however, caused much resentment in the tribal community.

Pathalgadi hit the headlines when seven Pathalgadi opponents were killed in Burugulikela village in West Singhbhum district on January 19. Activists working in the tribal areas say even now there is confusion on whether the killings took place because of the Pathalgadi movement.

The police are still investigating the killing of seven villagers in Burugulikela village, about 80 km from the district headquarters, but they have so far investigated it from the angle of personal enmity.

Sources however said that the Pathalgadi movement may be the main reason behind the killings. The clash took place between the supporters and the opponents of the movement over the development works to be carried out without any interference from the tribal community. Police sources said that a section of villagers, reposing complete faith in the Gram Sabha, may be behind the killings.

Jarom Gerald Kujur, Secretary of the Central Jana Sangh Samiti, an NGO working for the tribals, said that the incident is under investigation, hence it cannot be linked to the Pathalgadi movement yet.

He said, “Pathalgadi is a very old tradition. The Birsa Munda Samaj mentions its rule by placing large stones outside the village, which is called Pathalgadi, while the Oraon Samaj collects a heap of stones, known as keystones.”

He said that these stones indicate the boundary of the villages.

Kujur said that the history of the tribals shows that the Munda tribals in Singhbhum and Khunti areas had been trying to establish a self-governing system since the time of the British, and the Pathalgadi movement is a product of that struggle.

The movement which started from the Khunti region of Jharkhand, spread to other areas – Gumla, Shimdega, West Singhbhum in the course of time.

People say that the government must understand the sensitivity and take appropriate steps, otherwise this age-old custom may deviate to a turbulent and violent path.

“The government neither understood the sensibility of it nor is it understanding it now,” said James Herange, a Jharkhand social activist and convener of the Jharkhand NREGA Watch.

“This peaceful majority tribal area is once again becoming turbulent. The government needs to convince all, including the opposition,” he said.

He said that Pathalgadi is not a new practice. It is actually said to be the monuments of those stones, which have a very ancient history. Even today it is practiced in tribal societies across many states.

Herange said: “There was fear and anger in the tribal society against the government when it introduced amendments to the Chotanagpur Tenancy Act (CNT) 1908 and the Santhal Pargana Tenancy (SPT) Act 1949. The tribal community feared that the government was going to hand over the rights of forest and land to the capitalists in the name of mining and industrialisation.”

Panic gripped the Bundu and Tamar communities and the possibility of bloody conflict increased in these areas after the government”s move.

District Collector of West Singhbhum, Arwa Rajkamal, said that investigation is still on in the Burugulikela incident which makes it clear that the clash happened in the garb of Pathalgadi movement when two tribal groups came face to face over the development works in the area.

The Pathalgadi movement was revived to protest tribal land rights in 2017-18, when huge engraved stones were erected outside the villages following the amendments in tribal laws. The tribals wrote on the stones the rights enshrined under the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution which ensured self-governance through Gram Sabhas to safeguard and preserve traditions and customs of the tribal people and their cultural identity.

The movement turned violent and a fierce struggle took place between the police and the tribals after the government”s move to amend the tribal laws. The movement may have calmed down for now, but the villagers never forgot the police brutality that they suffered.

The Khunti police registered a total of 19 cases related to the Pathalgadi movement, in which 172 people were booked. Now after the Soren government withdrew all the cases, many believe it was done in a hurry.

Jharkhand murders not due to Pathalgadi, result of family rivalry.

Source – nationalheraldindia.com

Contrary to national media reports about the seven murders in West Singhbhum, Jharkhand, allegedly by the supporters of Pathalgadi movement, the gruesome killings have their origins in a rivalry between the two families. They were reportedly murdered on January 19, but it was found out only two days ago.

The massacre of the seven persons in Burugulikera, identified as James Budh (30), Etwa Budh (27), Lomba Budh (25), Koje Topno (23), Nirmal Budh (25), Jabra Budh (22), and Bobas Lomga (25) was a result of village conflict, said the police. The village falls under Gudri police station, which is at least 75 km from the district headquarter Chaibasa.

“The murders cannot be linked to Pathalgadi movement, but an incident of rivalry between two families – the current village head and his family was murdered by the earlier village head’s family,” said Murari Lal Meena, ADG-Operations.

The Pathalgadi movement is prevalent in the Burugulikera village, but these seven were murdered due to opposition between themselves. Pathalgadi, a custom to erect stone plaques amongst tribals, resurrected in 2017 in Khunti when villagers began to erect plaques with their rights engraved on it.

The previous Raghubar Das-led BJP government had slapped thousands of sedition cases on the supporters of the movement. However, soon after the new Chief Minister Hemant Soren was sworn in, he quashed all of these cases.

The prime accused in the case is former mukhiya Mukta Horo and her husband, Ranshi Budh. However, it must also be mentioned that Ranshi Budh supported Pathalgadi movement, but the murdered James Budh was the current village mukhiya and he was not in favour of Ranshi Budh’s form of Pathalgadi.

On January 16, a meeting was called in the village by the former mukhiya, which was opposed by James Budh and his supporters. To retaliate against the meeting, James Budh’s supporters vandalised five house and also beat up Mukta Horo’s family members.

“After vandalising the homes, a meeting was called to discuss the incident. Several of those who had vandalised Mukta Horo’s house did not turn up for the meeting. This enraged Ranshi Budh, who beat up seven and beheaded them in the neighbouring forest,” said Indrajit Mahato, Chaibasa Superintendent of Police.

A day after the decapitated bodies were discovered, Burugulikera village appeared divided over the incident. According to the villagers, James Budh wanted to ensure that villagers had access to subsidised ration, government benefits and additionally wanted to enrol young children in schools.

“However, Ranshi Budh, who is a part of an ideology called ‘Kutumbh family’, which has its roots in Gujarat. Ranshi Budh, who while being in favour of the Pathalgadi movement, was against villagers getting aid from the government or any identification cards or even participating in the voting exercise. The followers of this ideology state that they are a government unto themselves” explained an activist Aloka.

In other regions of Jharkhand, where Pathalgadi is prevalent, it is not as contentious as it is in this region. In this region, a section of the Pathalgadi supporters are against any government assistance, unlike in areas like Khunti, where Pathalgadi supporters have voter IDs and other government documents.

Jharkhand: Babulal Marandi withdraws support from Hemant Soren govt, says Congress poaching his MLAs.

Source – indiatoday.in

Nearly a month after joining hands with the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and the Congress to be part of the Hemant Soren-led government in Jharkhand, the Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik) (JVM) today walked out of the alliance and accused the Congress of trying to poach its MLAs.

In a letter addressed to Chief Minister Hemant Soren, JVM president Babulal Marandi said the Congress, which is part of the ruling alliance in Jharkhand, is trying to break the JVM.

The letter read: “Our party Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik) had on December 24, 2019, gave a letter of unconditional support to the government under your (Hemant Soren) leadership. But the Congress, which is a part of the UPA, is trying to break our MLAs, which the newspapers have published prominently today. In this context, our party has reviewed its support and decided to withdraw support to the UPA government under your leadership.”

This announcement came a day after two JVM MLAs-Pradip Yadav and Bandhu Tirkey-met Congress president Sonia Gandhi, fuelling speculations that they are set to join the Congress. The two also met Rahul Gandhi and Congress Jharkhand in-charge RPN Singh.

The JVM had won three seats in the recently held Jharkhand assembly election. If Yadav and Tirkey join Congress, Marandi will be the lone JVM MLA in Jharkhand.

Speculations are also rife that the JVM may merge with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is the main opposition party in the state at present.

However, JVM’s withdrawing support will not have any impact on the government as it has 47 MLAs in the 81-member house.

“Our party has extended support to the Hemant Soren government. But its coalition partner, Congress is attempting to poach our MLAs. In view of that, the party has decided to withdraw its support,” JVM general secretary Saroj Singh told reporters in Ranchi.

He said the party has also decided to remove Pradip Yadav as the legislature party leader in the state assembly and sent a letter to the Speaker in this connection.

On the two MLAs meeting Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, Congress spokesman Alok Kumar Dubey told PTI, “The two leaders got the blessings of our senior leaders. They are welcome to join the party.”

“After consultations with Jharkhand Congress president Rameshwar Oraon and CLP leader Alamgir Alam further actions will set in motion,” he said.

While Tirkey, MLA from Mandar in Ranchi district, was expelled by the party on Tuesday last, Yadav, elected from Poreyahat in Godda district, is still its leader.

The development has come at a time when speculation is rife in the media that JVM-P may merge with the saffron party and Marandi could be named as new leader of the BJP legislature party in the Jharkhand assembly.

Significantly, the 25-member BJP legislature party has not yet named its leader.

The JVM, however, has denied the media reports that the party was heading to merge with the BJP.

Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren orders SIT probe after Pathalgarhi supporters kill 7 villagers.

Source – indiatoday.in

upporters of “Pathalgarhi” movement, armed with lathis and axes, kidnapped seven villagers and later killed them in West Singhbhum district of Jharkhand for allegedly opposing their stir, police said on Wednesday.

With the horrific incident in Burugulikera village,over 175 km from capital Ranchi, triggering widespread outrage, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren ordered setting up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to find reasons behind the massacre of seven innocent villagers.

Hemant Soren also directed the officials to help families of the victims.

“Set up a special investigation team (SIT) to get a breakthrough about the real reasons behind the incident and identify the guilty. Help families of the victims,” an official release said quoting Soren.

The tragedy coming barely days after the JMM-Congress- RJD coalition government assumed power in the state drew sharp reaction from the BJP.

Newly-elected Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national president J P Nadda condemned the mass killing and set up a six-member party team to visit the place and submit a report within a week, a press statement issued by the saffron party’s national General Secretary Arun Singh said.

The members of the team are — Jaswant Singh Bhabhor (MP from Gujarat), Samir Oraon (MP from Jharkhand), Bharati Pawar (Parliamentarian from Maharashtra), Gomti Saai (Chhattisgarh Lok Sabha member), Joan Barla (LS member from West Bengal) and former Jharkhand minister and MLA Nilkanth Singh Munda — the release said.

Giving detail of the event, Inspector General of Police (Operation) Saket Kumar Singh said that the policemen reached Burugulikera village on Tuesday night after getting information about the killing of seven natives.

After murdering, the killers had dumped bodies of the victims in a nearby forest.

A panchayat representative was among those massacred, Saket Kumar Singh said.

After an overnight search operation, bodies of the seven villagers were recovered from the forest, four km from the village, Saket Kumar Singh said.

There was a meeting over ‘Pathalgarhi’ movement in the village on Tuesday when a dispute had arisen, West Singhbhum Superintendent of Police Indrajit Mahata said.

Following the development, supporters of the movement kidnapped seven villagers and later killed them with the help of lathis and axes, Saket Kumar Singh said.

Pathalgarhi is a name given to a tribal protest which seeks autonomy for village sabhas (Gramsabhas). Those demanding Pathalgarhi want no laws of the land be applicable on the tribal people in the area.

The Pathalgarhis reject government rights over their forests and rivers.

As part of the movement, Pathalgarhis erect a stone plaque or signboard outside the village/area, declaring the village as sovereign territory and prohibiting the entry of the outsiders.

Hemant Soren had earlier in the day said: “Law is above all and the guilty will not be spared. The police is investigating the matter.”

A high-level meeting will be convened to prevent recurrence of such an incident, Hemant Soren said.

Pathalgarhi movement had hit the national headlines in the middle of 2019.

On June 19, five NGO workers were allegedly abducted and gangraped by armed men associated with the Pathalgarhi movement. They were performing a street play at a school in Khunti district of Jharkhand when they were targetted.

The raiders had branded the NGO workers as “dikus” (outsiders).

On June 26, another group of armed Pathalgarhis had abducted three security personnel posted at the former BJP MP Karia Munda’s home in Khunti. They were released later.

The Pathalgarhi groups have been active across four districts of Jharkhand – Khunti, Gumla, Simdega and West Singhbhum.

All of them are Maoist-infested districts. Soon after being sworn in as the chief minister on December 29 last, Hemant Soren had announced his decision to withdraw all sedition cases registered during the Pathalgarhi movement and protests against the amendments to Chotanagpur Tenancy Act (CNT Act) and Santhal Paragana Tenancy Act (SPT Act).

Former Chief Minister Raghubar Das condemned the Burugulikera massacre and demanded immediate arrest of the killers.

“I feel very painful at the barbaric killing of seven innocent villagers at Burugulikera in West Singhbhum district,” Raghubar Das said in a statement.

Raghubar Das said that the incident raises “a question mark on the law and order situation in the state”.

BJPs Scheduled Tribe Morcha national vice president Arun Oraon also strongly criticised the killing.

“The BJP will send a partys central team to visit the spot to collect pieces of evidence and look into them,” he told reporters here during the day.

The Morchas national secretary and MLA, Koche Munda, alleged that the incident reflected the poor law and order situation in the state, “boosting the morale of anti-social elements”.