Why Hemant Soren hosts Jinnah's party leaders but dislikes Shah: Himanta

Sarma took a jibe at Soren saying he has no hesitation in extending a warm welcome to a delegation of Muslim League

Launching a frontal attack on Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, his Assam counterpart Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday accused him of hosting Indian Union of Muslim League (IUML) leaders but "showing disdain" for BJP leaders including Amit Shah.

A delegation of IUML comprising party MPs ET Mohammed Basheer, MP and Haris Beeran, besides MLA Mohammad Bashir, met Soren at his residence here during the day. A CMO statement said it was a "courtesy meeting".

Sarma, who is also the BJP's co-incharge of assembly elections in Jharkhand that are scheduled later this year, took a jibe at Soren saying he has no hesitation in extending a warm welcome to a delegation of "Muslim League" founded by Muhammad Ali Jinnah but has objection to BJP leaders coming to his state.

The Jharkhand government had earlier this month urged the EC to ask Union Home Minister Amit Shah to issue an advisory to BJP leaders Sarma and Shivraj Singh Chouhan to desist from "instigating" communal tension in the state for "narrow political gains" by misusing the official machinery.

"A delegation of IUML which was founded by Jinnah met the Jharkhand chief minister. I want to know why Jinnah's party came to Jharkhand. The CM extends a warm welcome to Kerala's Muslim League delegation but neglects BJP leaders and instead writes to the Election Commission to prevent them from coming. You offer tea and coffee to Jinnah's party leaders with family, why?" Sarma questioned.

He also demanded to know as to what was the content of the memorandum submitted by the IUML delegation to the Jharkhand CM.

Sarma asserted that BJP was going to form the government in the state after the assembly elections.

On opposition to 'one nation, one election', he said that the entire opposition in the country was left with only one agenda as to how to oppose Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Sarma said JMM's days were numbered in the state.

Earlier during the day, Soren in an apparent dig at BJP's 'Parivartan Yatras' scheduled across Jharkhand from Friday, said that leaders from other states would be seen "hovering like vultures, spreading communal tension".