Hemant Soren Counters BJP's UCC and NRC Plans in Jharkhand

Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren criticizes BJP's plans for NRC and UCC in the state, emphasizing existing local laws. He highlights initiatives like the Guruji credit card scheme for students, free electricity for the poor, and entrepreneurship loans for women. Soren's response follows BJP's manifesto release by Amit Shah.

In a staunch rebuttal to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren declared that the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and Uniform Civil Code (UCC) would be ineffective in the state. Soren emphasized the role of local legislation such as the Chota Nagpur Tenancy (CNT) Act, the Santhal Pargana Tenancy (SPT) Act, and the Panchayats Extension to Scheduled Areas (PESA) law.

Soren also highlighted state aid initiatives such as the Guruji credit card scheme, which offers students loans of up to Rs 15 lakh to pursue careers in engineering, medicine, or law. Additionally, his government has erased the electricity debts of the impoverished, offering 200 free units of power, and launched the Mukhyamantri Rojgaar Srijan Yojana, aiding women entrepreneurs.

The pronouncements followed Union Home Minister Amit Shah's revelation of BJP's Sankalp Patra (Manifesto), which vows UCC implementation and the eviction of alleged Bangladeshi infiltrators. Shah assured that tribal identity and heritage would remain respected. The Jharkhand Assembly elections are slated to occur over two phases, on November 13 and 20, with results expected on November 23.

(With inputs from agencies.)