JMM criticises BJP’s ‘nationalist’ tone in LS polls

Ranchi, April 27 (IANS) Slamming the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for its emphasis on nationalism, former Chief Minister and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) executive president Hemant Soren on Saturday wondered if the party or an Army was contesting the polls.

"Issues related to employment and two square meals are missing in the poll. The government, instead of fighting the polls on basic development issues, is doing so on nationalism. We want to ask whether the BJP or the Army is in poll," Soren said while releasing the JMM manifesto "Nishya Patra".

"Today, nuclear weapons are used to threaten others. Earlier, our great (former) Prime Ministers Indira Gandhi and Atal Bihari Vajpayee tested nuclear bombs but they never came before the media to threaten others," Soren said.

"People are being taken today into the wrong direction to fight the poll. The government has nothing to say on employment, two square meals to people. BJP itself is 'anti-national' and trader of 'nationalism'," he said.

The former Chief Minister said every section of the society -- students, farmers, tribals, Dalits, minorities and traders -- are unhappy with the BJP's five years of governance.

"People need to think whether country should be looked by eye of few people or eyes of 125 crore people," he said.

In its manifesto "Nishya Patra", the party talks about protecting the "jal (water), jungle and jameen (land)" of the people of the state. It also supports the Congress' proposed Nyay scheme.

The JMM is contesting the Lok Sabha polls in alliance with the Congress, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the Jharkhand Vikas Morcha-Prajatantrik (JVM-P).

Polls in Jharkhand's 14 Lok Sabha seats would be held in four phases.

Three of the state's 14 seats are going to the hustings in the fourth phase of polling on April 29.