In a scathing attack on the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM)-led state government, Babulal Marandi, the leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Jharkhand, posted a sharp critique on social media platform X (formerly Twitter). He accused the Hemant Soren government of betraying the people of Jharkhand and misleading the judiciary.
Marandi’s post, written in Hindi, alleges that the Soren government has been deceiving the state’s youth, women, farmers, and tribal communities for the past five years, and is now engaging in fraud with the Jharkhand High Court. The BJP leader claimed that while the government informed the court that only mobile internet and Wi-Fi services were partially shut down, it went ahead and cut broadband and other internet services the following day, violating the court’s trust.
“चोर की चोरी फिर एक बार पकड़ी गई…” Marandi’s post begins, hinting at the government’s repeated misconduct. He criticized the Soren administration for its refusal to admit to this blunder, despite clear evidence of the internet shutdown. According to Marandi, the government misled the court by citing vague “intelligence inputs” as the reason for the internet suspension, though no such input was mentioned in the affidavit submitted to the court.
The shutdown, which reportedly impacted both mobile and broadband services, drew public outcry as it disrupted daily life in several parts of the state. Marandi’s post further accuses the Hemant Soren government, in collaboration with its coalition partner Congress, of trampling on the fundamental rights of Jharkhand’s citizens, comparing the internet suspension to a “black chapter” reminiscent of the Emergency era.
“The Hemant government, along with Congress, is once again violating people’s fundamental rights and writing a dark chapter in the history of democracy by imposing an ‘internet emergency,'” Marandi wrote in his post.
The shutdown is seen by critics as part of a broader pattern of curbing dissent and controlling information flow in the state. The Hemant Soren government has been under fire from opposition leaders and civil society groups for allegedly clamping down on free speech and suppressing transparency.
While the state government has yet to formally respond to Marandi’s allegations, the internet restrictions have raised serious concerns about the handling of law and order situations in Jharkhand. Marandi’s remarks further deepen the ongoing political battle between the BJP and the JMM-Congress alliance, with both sides frequently trading accusations of undermining democracy and governance in the state.
This incident comes at a critical time as Jharkhand faces several socio-political challenges, with growing discontent over issues like unemployment, tribal rights, and rural distress. Marandi, a former Chief Minister of Jharkhand, has been vocal in his opposition to the JMM’s policies, positioning himself as a key challenger to the current administration.
The internet shutdown and its alleged misrepresentation in court proceedings will likely continue to dominate political discourse in Jharkhand in the days to come, with opposition parties gearing up to make it a significant election issue.
Jharkhand has seen a spate of internet restrictions in recent times, often imposed in the wake of protests or to prevent communal violence. However, the handling of these restrictions has been controversial, drawing criticism from both the public and the courts.
News – Sanjana Kumari.
