RANCHI, Jan 11:
Jharkhand’s caretaker Chief Minister Arjun Munda today doubted the credential of his former ally JMM’s Christmas Day list that pulled down the BJP government on January 8 and said it could have been an excuse to create instability.
“Was the list of demands (given by the JMM) genuine or there had been any other point behind it?” Munda said at a press conference here.
Munda, who had resigned as chief minister on January 8, believed that had the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha’s seven-point list of demands given to him on December 25 by its leader Hemant Soren been genuine, further discussions could have been possible.
Hemant Soren, who was Munda’s deputy when he handed over the list, asked him to clear his stand on the purported agreement between JMM/BJP to share power on rotation basis, Chhotanagpur/Santhal Pargana Tenancy Acts, domicile policy, status of nine regional/tribal languages, government aid to participants of Jharkhand movement,rehabilitation/resettlement policy and financial aid to Madarsas.
Giving point-wise reply to the JMM on January 3, Munda had bluntly rejected that there was any agreement on sharing power between the two former allies.
“If these were the only issues, further discussions could have happened? I don’t think the instability was created on the basis of these particular demands,” claimed Munda.
Munda asked who was responsible for creating political instability and what was the mystery behind it? “Everything would unravel with the passage of time,” he added.
“When I was busy keeping state’s priorities at the National Development Council in Delhi, back home efforts had been on to push the state towards political instability,” rued Munda.
Stating that the cabinet had decided to recommend dissolution of the House to pave way for a fresh mandate, Munda said he believed that Governor Syed Ahmed would take a decision as per the constitution and his conscience.
“I and my party will go to the people with all these things seeking a fresh mandate,” he added.
Terming as “sad” the fortnight-long political developments, Munda said it had pushed the state’s priorities backstage at a time when the 12th five-year plan was being kicked off.
“We have already underlined the state’s human development index. We would urge the Centre to take care of the state’s developmental initiatives and see that the present political atmosphere does not hit the state’s interest,” he said.
Demanding special financial package to Jharkhand due to its backwardness, topography and other issues, he said, “The Centre should also address Jharkhand’s long-pending assets/liabilities problem following division of erstwhile Bihar on the lines of other new states.” (PTI)
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