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State JMM unit clarifies on Soren’s demand

Photo: Lingaraj Panda

Clearing the air: President of the State unit of the JMM Sudam Marandi along with party colleagues addressing mediapersons in Bhubaneswar on Friday. -

BHUBANESWAR: The State unit of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha on Friday clarified that they had never demanded for merger of the districts of Mayurbhanj, Sundargarh and Keonjhar with Jharkhand.

At a press conference here, party’s State unit president and Lok Sabha MP from Mayurbhanj Sudam Marandi further blamed the ruling Biju Janata Dal-Bharatiya Janata Party alliance for politicising the whole issue.

Although Mr. Marandi admitted that the three districts of Orissa had found mention in the Greater Jharkhand plan that the JMM prepared in the past, he said the party was not pressing the same at present.

In a bid to further clarify his stand, Mr. Marandi said after the creation of Jharkhand State, the JMM legislators in Orissa had never demanded for merger of Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar and Sundargarh with that State

The JMM leader also criticised Chief Minister and the BJD president Naveen Patnaik for allowing the workers of the ruling parties for causing inconvenience to the people by observing bandh on the issue. The BJD and BJP leaders were trying to spread a misinformation campaign against the JMM to strengthen their vote bank, Mr. Marandi observed.

With regard to the State’s demand for merger of State-dominated Sareikala and Kharsuan areas of Jharkhand with the State, Mr. Marandi said the Naveen Patnaik Government had never taken up the demand before the Centre in a formal way.

The BJD-BJP government should focus on the development of the tribal dominated districts, he added.

The controversy had started soon after the JMM president Shibu Soren reportedly demanded merger of the three tribal-dominated districts for creation of Greater Jharkhand State as one of the several conditions for extending support to the United Progressive Alliance Government during the crucial trust vote on July 22.

Mr. Soren’s demand was strongly opposed by the BJD and BJP and the parties observed bandh in Mayurbhanj and Keonjhar to register their protest.

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