Ranchi: Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) working president Hemant Soren on Wednesday addressed a live audience during a ‘Twitter Choupal’ organised by the party, as a run-up to JMM’s poll preparations.

The JMM has entered a pre-poll alliance with the Congress, JVM (P) and RJD to contest the 2019 Lok Sabha elections and assembly polls, to stop the BJP juggernaut both at the centre and in Jharkhand.

“Kankar, patthar ko bhi sidi banana padta hai (you need to create steps using stone chips and stones),” he said replying to the question asked by Jag Prakash from Dumka at Hemant ki Choupal organised on the Twitter India platform.

The BJP retorted saying that it was a fake programme. BJP state spokesperson Pratul Shahdeo said the JMM publicized it as if Twitter India arranged the choupal but in the end it turned out to be a party organised programme.

Shahdeo also mentioned that the JMM will use the Congress and JVM (P) as stones and throw it after the polls are over.

However, the choupal set the tone of social media campaigns before the Lok Sabha election thus throwing a challenge to the BJP.

Notwithstanding BJP’s claim, Hemant said the JMM will bring back smile on people’s faces and lost pride of Jharkhand in cooperation with the public if voted to power.

During the two-hour programme, the JMM leader received nearly 260 questions.

The questions varied from starvation deaths, unemployment, closure of industries and merger of government schools to power given to the gram sabhas, commercialisation of educational institutes and compulsion of Aadhar number for foodgrains.

Hemant expressed concern over starvation deaths and said the government is not paying adequate attention to people’s bare necessities.

He said there should be immediate decision on providing ration to all at PDS shops. The government cannot refuse foodgrains to people in want of Aadhar number, he said.

Hemant lamented on the present job scenario and said the BJP government has failed to created jobs. The youths are faced with joblessness and underemployment (not getting salary matching with their education qualkification), he mentioned adding that if voted to power, his government would ensure jobs for all - from farmland to industries.

Taking a dig at the Raghubar Das government on merger of government schools he said the government does not want the villagers to be educated.

Replying another query on his Jharkhand Sangharsh Yatra Hemant said he found its one way traffic in Jharkhand. There is no one to listen to people’s problems.

He said the JMM would ensure that all industry flourishes in Jharkhand and farmers live happy life.

On examinations conducted by the JPSC he said the public service commission has been relegated to school examination board.

Hemant said the JMM has a long history and weaved confidence among the people that the party’s youth leadership would take Jharkhand to new heights.

First Published: Mar 14, 2019 12:15 IST