During a recent address at the ‘Samvidhan Samman Sammelan’ in Ranchi, Rahul Gandhi, the Lok Sabha leader of the opposition, alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) exerts control over the Election Commission, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Enforcement Directorate (ED), income tax department, and the bureaucracy. He emphasized, “The BJP also controls funds and institutions, but we possess honesty. The Congress fought the Lok Sabha elections without money.”
Gandhi further claimed that the Constitution is “under attack” from the BJP, specifically targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. “It needs to be protected,” he stressed, marking his first visit to Jharkhand following the announcement of assembly poll dates.
The upcoming Jharkhand Assembly elections will occur in two phases on November 13 and 20, with vote counting scheduled for November 23. Earlier in the day, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren declared that the INDIA bloc, which includes Congress and the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), will collaborate to contest 70 out of the 81 assembly seats. In contrast, the BJP plans to contest 68 seats, while its NDA allies, the AJSU, JD(U), and LJP (Ram Vilas), will contest 10, 2, and 1 seats, respectively.
In his speech, Gandhi accused the BJP and PM Modi of undermining the rights of Dalit, tribal, and backward classes. “PM Modi claims to respect these communities, yet he strips them of their rights,” he remarked, criticizing the BJP’s use of the term “vanvasis” to describe tribals. He argued that this terminology attempts to erase their history and cultural significance.
Gandhi highlighted the lack of representation for these communities in the educational curriculum, stating, “You will find only 10-15 lines about the tribals… What is their history, their way of living? Nothing is written about that.” He called for greater acknowledgment and respect for the contributions of farmers, laborers, and other communities that have built the nation.
