RANCHI: Jharkhand Congress working president Bandhu Tirkey on Monday asked supporters of the ruling coalition in the state to expose the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) conspiracy to destabilise the Hemant Soren government and asked them to even thrash workers if required.
Addressing a protest organised by the coalition near Raj Bhawan against the alleged misuse of central agencies and constitutional bodies, Tirkey told his audience: ”This is not a normal protest or an election rally. Go back home and expose the design and conspiracy of the BJP to bring down the government which was elected with a thumping majority. If required, also beat up the BJP workers. Now people will say I am using unparliamentary language. But I am not concerned.”
Tirkey said the ruling combine comprising Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, Congress and Rashtriya Janata Dal was not against action against the corrupt. “We are against corruption, he said, adding that they were against misuse of agencies for political purposes. Several ministers, legislators and the ruling combine of Jharkhand’s ruling coalition also addressed the protesters.
Taking umbrage at Tirkey’s statement, former chief minister and national vice president of BJP Raghubar Das said his party workers will not be deterred by threats or the use of violence.
“First they engaged in corrupt practices and then incite people to resort to violence. Congress does not know the stuff BJP workers are made of. Violence in Bengal and Kerala could not deter BJP workers. BJP workers no more take such things lying down. We also know to reply back. Didn’t even touch anyone by mistake,” the former chief minister said in a post on Twitter.
Das also wrote to governor Ramesh Bais, seeking his intervention against such remarks including the one made by the chief minister Hemant Soren. It was a reference to Soren’s remarks on November 3 when he told party workers to identify all BJP workers attending their planned protest who, he said, would be taught a lesson later.
