Upcoming election is for saving 'Sanatan' in Jharkhand: Himanta

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday said that the upcoming assembly election in Jharkhand was for saving 'Sanatan' in the state. He claimed that the Hindu population in Jharkhand's Santhal Pargana region has declined from 90 per cent in 1951 to 67 per cent in 2011.

Sarma, also the BJP's Jharkhand election co-incharge, was addressing an election rally in Deoghar district in favour of BJP nominee Randhir Singh, who filed his nomination from Sarath assembly constituency.

"The election this time is not for JMM or Congress but for saving the Sanatan in Jharkhand," he said.


He claimed that Santhal Pargana region, which comprises six districts of Sahibganj, Godda, Pakur, Dumka, Deoghar and Jamtara, had a total population of 26 lakh in 1951.

"Of the total population, around 90 per cent were Hindu and 9.43 per cent were Muslim. The tribal population at that time was 10.34 lakh, which was 44 per cent of the total Hindu population. In the 2011 Census, the Hindu population declined to 67 per cent and the tribal population to 28 per cent in the Santhal Pargana region," Sarma claimed.

He said that the Hindu population might go down to 60 per cent in the latest census, which is yet to be conducted.

Sarma claimed that the native Muslim population in the region has not increased that much.

"We don't have any issue with them. But we have a problem with the Bangladeshi infiltrators, who are coming to Jharkhand through West Bengal's Murshidabad and getting the government's patronage here," he said.

He claimed that the infiltrators are marrying tribal girls, occupying lands and becoming 'mukhiya' (village head).

"They are disturbing the social fabric of the region. But the Hemant Soren government will not take any action against them," he alleged.

Sarma said after the formation of the BJP government in Jharkhand, the National Register of Citizens (NRC) would be implemented and infiltrators would be chased out of the state.

Sarma claimed that if the BJP is voted to power, it would fill up 2.87 lakh government vacancies and provide 1.5 lakh jobs in the very first year.

He said that the BJP, if voted to power, would build 21 lakh houses under PM Awas Yojana and provide sand for free to construct houses.

Elections to the 81-member assembly in the state will take place in two phases on November 13 and 20, and votes polled will be counted on November 23.