Police detain Hemant Soren in Ranchi on Thursday. (PTI)
POLICE DETAINED nearly 19,000 people, including top opposition leaders, across Jharkhand on Thursday during a one-day bandh called in protest against the amendment in the land acquisition Act that empowered the state to waive social impact assessment for certain projects.
The August 2017 amendment allowed the state to acquire land for certain projects like railways, irrigation, roads, colleges and gas pipeline without the social impact study. The government said the amendment would speed up projects and hand over compensation to landowners in five months.
The opposition alleged the amendment would only help corporate companies, and called for a joint bandh. While the opposition claimed the bandh was successful, the BJP dubbed it a flop show. According to the police, at least 18,973 people were detained under preventive sections. The most arrests were made in Dumka, Ranchi, Jamshedpur and Dhanbad. “Long-distance vehicular movement was hit. But people were not harassed. There was no major disruption in rail movement,” said a police spokesperson.
State Congress chief Ajoy Kumar, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha acting chief Hemant Soren, Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik) chief Babulal Marandi and several other senior leaders of these parties were detained in Ranchi. Veteran Congressman Pradeep Balmuchu was arrested in Jamshedpur.
Chief Minister Raghubar Das said the people of the state would no longer be misled by the messages of the opposition. “People of this state are now with development. They are committed to it,” he said. While courting arrest, Marandi said the people would show the door to this government, as it was hell-bent on following anti-people policies.