Assam CM and BJP leader Himanta Biswa Sarma (L); Jharkhand CM and JMM chief Hemant Soren.
Credit: PTI Photo
Dhanbad (Jharkhand): Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday accused his Jharkhand counterpart Hemant Soren of stopping the payment of old-age pensions to fund the Maiya Samman Yojana.
Addressing rallies in Jamtara and Dhanbad for BJP candidates Sita Soren and Raj Sinha, Sarma, who is the BJP's co-in-charge for Jharkhand polls, claimed that Soren diverted old-age pension funds to his own scheme, Maiya Samman Yojana.
Sarma alleged that Soren was creating family disputes by "snatching old-age pensions from fathers and mothers-in-law and giving the money to daughters-in-law under the Yojana." He promised that if the BJP returns to power, they would increase the old-age pension amount to Rs 2,500 and provide Rs 2,100 to women under the Gogo Didi Scheme.
Sarma also said this election is a battle for the protection of Jharkhand’s 'Roti, Beti and Mati' from infiltrators.
He accused the Congress and JMM of being sympathetic to infiltrators, as they rely on them as voters, and claimed that cases are not filed against those who "rob the Roti, Beti, and Mati" of tribals.
The Assam CM further criticised Soren for backtracking on his promises from the previous assembly elections, including providing jobs to 5 lakh youths and gold coins for marriages.
Sarma claimed that the gold coins promised to daughters were "eaten up" by Alamgir Alam, a former Jharkhand minister, and that the Rs 35 crore recovered from his house belonged to the people of Jharkhand.
Sarma also alleged that Soren had failed to deliver jobs to youths, citing a botched recruitment process in which 20 youths died due to the timing of the event in July-August during extreme heat.
He also criticised Soren for reneging on his promise to provide unemployment allowances of Rs 5,000 to Rs 7,000.
Blaming Congress leaders Irfan Ansari and Alamgir Alam for fostering infiltration, Sarma suggested that both leaders should be "sent to Ganga Maiya for servicing" to save Jharkhand.
Assembly Elections 2024 | The Maharashtra Assembly polls will take place against the backdrop of a fractured political landscape in the western state where the Shiv Sena and NCP will be going up against the Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar factions, even as the BJP and Congress try to make their mark. Meanwhile, in Jharkhand, the JMM faces a new challenge after Hemant Soren's recent arrest and Champai, a longstanding party member, joining the BJP. The Haryana election resulted in a shock loss for Congress, which was looking to galvanize on the Lok Sabha poll performance, while J&K also saw the grand old party eventually stepping away from the cabinet, with Omar Abdullah's JKNC forming government. It remains to be seen if the upcoming polls help BJP cement its position further or provide a fillip to I.N.D.I.A. Check live updates and track the latest coverage, live news, in-depth opinions, and analyses only on Deccan Herald.
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