BJP converted Jharkhand into grazing ground in 20 yrs: CM Hemant Soren

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Wednesday blamed the opposition BJP for the state's backwardness, alleging that the party has converted it into a grazing ground in the past 20 years.

In his reply to the debate on the Motion of Thanks to the Governor's address, he also alleged that the saffron party that bolstered development in states like Maharashtra and Gujarat has sowed plants of corruption in Jharkhand.

"In the past 20 years, they (BJP) converted Jharkhand into a grazing ground and a centre of loot," he alleged.

Jharkhand was created in November 2000.

While Soren blamed the previous Raghubar Das-led BJP regime for fuelling corruption, the saffron camp members insisted that he speak on alleged indulgence in corruption by his officials including suspended and arrested IAS officer Pooja Singhal.

Soren, however, asserted that the MGNREGA scam in connection with which the ED arrested the official occurred during the BJP regime, prompting the party legislators to stage a walk-out.

He also hit out at the Centre for allegedly attempting to destabilise his democratically elected government by unleashing central agencies such as the Enforcement Directorate and the CBI.

Soren claimed that the BJP has stooped so low that its senior leader Babulal Marandi had asked the Union home minister to topple the JMM-led government as mentioned by Amit Shah recently at a rally in the state.

The opposition BJP members earlier attacked the Soren government alleging that corruption is at its peak in the state, and incidents of murder and rape were increasing.