'Will it reduce poverty?' Soren alleges Vande Mataram chosen for Parl discussion to divert attention

Ranchi, Dec 11 (PTI) Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Thursday alleged the Centre was deliberately choosing "unnecessary topics" for discussion in Parliament, such as the national song Vande Mataram, to divert attention from issues like the nationwide flight disruptions and the Delhi blast.

Speaking in the assembly on the last day of the winter session, Soren accused the BJP-led government at the Centre of meting out "step-motherly treatment" to Jharkhand by slashing allotments.

"What topic was chosen for discussion in the Parliament, the national song Vande Mataram. Does such discussion help reduce poverty and generate employment," he asked.

"There are reports of bodies decomposing in airports, sick people suffering, but the government chose to discuss Vande Mataram. They do it deliberately to divert people's attention," he said, referring to the disruption of flight services due to the crisis at IndiGo.

During the address, Soren also mentioned the Delhi blast and the crash of an IAF Tejas fighter jet at the Dubai Airshow.

Alleging that "venom" was being spread in the name of SIR, he said, "They (BJP) talk about infiltration. If there is infiltration, whose duty is to stop them? They do not act even if there is an intelligence report in advance. There was information about the chemical used in the Delhi bomb blast two-three months back, but no action was taken." "Currently, more security personnel are deployed in tribal areas and forests compared to the borders. It is because they are eying the natural resources, which they want to hand over to capitalists," he alleged.

Soren claimed the step-motherly treatment that the Centre is showing towards the state government was clearly evident in every way.

"The Centre has slashed allotments for the national fellowship and scholarship scheme for ST students by up to 90 per cent. Similarly, the share was cut up to 95 per cent in national overseas scholarship, up to 40 per cent in pre-matric and 63 per cent in post-matric scholarship for minority community students," he claimed.

Slamming the BJP-led opposition in the state, which attacked the government over "pending" scholarships for SC, ST and OBC students during the winter session, Soren said, "We are not such people who slash scholarships but increase them." The BJP legislators, however, walked out of the House during the CM’s reply.

"We are providing foreign scholarship and students’ loan up to Rs 15 lakh at a minimal interest rate of 4 per cent under Guruji Credit Card, besides running the Savitribai Phule scheme," Soren said.

He said the state government's objective is to make people educated, and so has drawn a roadmap for the next 25 years in this regard.

After the CM's reply, Speaker Rabindra Nath Mahato adjourned the House sine die.

The winter session of the assembly started on December 5. There were five working days, and a supplementary budget of Rs 7,721.25 crore was passed during the session. PTI SAN SAN SOM