Demand for new UT in J’khand a conspiracy to divide state, says JMM

RANCHI: The JMM on Sunday strongly slammed BJP MP Nishikant Dubey’s statement in Parliament that parts of Jharkhand and West Bengal be declared a union territory (UT) to deal with the challenges posed by illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.

Dubbing it a conspiracy to “divide” the state, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) warned the Centre that the party will take to the streets to oppose any such move.

Raising the issue during Zero Hour in the Lok Sabha on Thursday, Dubey claimed that the adivasi population in the Santhal Pargana region of the state has declined and demanded that Malda and Murshidabad of West Bengal, Araria and Kishanganj, Katihar of Bihar and Santhal Pargana of Jharkhand be declared a union territory.

Coming down heavily on Dubey, JMM General Secretary and Spokesperson Supriyo Bhattacharya termed it a “conspiracy” to divide the three states. “It is nothing but a planned conspiracy of BJP to divide Jharkhand, West Bengal and Bihar. Jammu and Kashmir was divided on August 5, 2019 and after five years once again BJP is making efforts for another division in the country,” said Bhattacharya.

The remark is not good for the state as it was made in Parliament and everything is on record, he added. The JMM spokesperson said that the seeds of division sowed by the BJP in the country will have an adverse effect in the future. Ever since Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma was appointed as the co-in charge for Assembly polls in Jharkhand, society has been divided in the name of caste and religion.

What the MP said

Raising the issue during Zero Hour in the Lok Sabha, Dubey claimed that the adivasi population in the Santhal Pargana region of the state has declined and demanded that Malda and Murshidabad of West Bengal, Araria and Kishanganj, Katihar of Bihar and Santhal Pargana of Jharkhand be declared a union territory.