JMM claims Maoist threat to leader, accuses BJP

Ranchi, April 28 (IANS) The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) on Sunday said that Maoists have asked the party's Executive President and former Chief Minister Hemant Soren to stay away from the polls or face the consequences, and accused the ruling BJP of colluding with the rebels to win all the state's 14 Lok Sabha seats.

The BJP dismissed the allegations.

JMM spokesperson Vinod Kumar Pandey shared the letter making the threat with the media here.

"The letter issued by Avinash Kumar Sinha, an advocate, mentions the threat to Hemant Soren. The letter says that an agreement has been reached out between Chief Minister Raghubar Das and BJP President Amit Shah to win all the 14 seats in Jharkhand and (the banned) CPI-Maoist has been assigned the job to ensure BJP's victory," he alleged.

A similar letter was issued to another former Chief Minister and Jharkahnd Vikas Morcha-Prajatantrik chief Babulal Marandi, Pandey said, adding that both Marandi and Hemant Soren have been asked to stay away from the polls till May 19.

The JMM leader demanded to know why no action has been taken against the person issuing such a letter. "Should we consider that the person issuing the letter has been patronised by the ruling BJP," he asked.

Reacting to the allegation, BJP spokesperson Pradeep Sinha told IANS that "the fear of defeat has unnerved the opposition parties". "As far as the Maoist threat is concerned, the police will take suitable action. It is the BJP governments at the Centre and the state which acted tough against the Maoists, resulting in declining Maoist incidents," he noted.