Domicile issue reverbates in Jharkhand assembly

The domicile issue reverbated in the Jharkhand assembly on Friday, with Fulchand Mandal of the ruling BJP claiming that Chief Minister Raghubar Das hailed from Chhattisgarh.

"Our chief minister belongs to Chhattisgarh. The rights of Jharkhandi students are grabbed by those from other states," Mandal said, embarassing the ruling party members. As he continued to speak, the speaker forced him to sit down.

Main opposition Jharkhand Mukti Morcha's (JMM) legislator Jagganath Mahto raised the domicile issue in the house as Speaker Dinesh Oraon objected to the slogan 'implement domicile policy in the state' written on his shirt.

Amid noisy scenes, Fulchand Mandal was on his feet and said that Jharkhand had no domicile policy in the last 15 years, adding that youths from other states were getting entry into grade three and four jobs through the backdoor.

"Hemant Soren is from Jharkhand and he ruled the state for 14 months but could not implement the domicile policy," he said.

The opposition members stood in the well of the house and shouted slogans to demand the implementation of the domicile policy in Jharkhand.

"Mandal wrongly stated that the chief minister belongs to Chhattisgarh. Ragubar Das is by birth and by heart a Jharkhandi," said Biranchi Narayan, a BJP legislator.

Raghubar Das is the first non-tribal chief minister of Jharkhand. The tribals and other indigenous people had raised objections over his appointment as the chief minister.