Amit Shah must explain why Parasnath notification not withdrawn: JMM

RANCHI: The ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) on Friday urged Union home minister Amit Shah to come clean during his Chaibasa visit on Saturday as to why the Centre did not withdraw its gazette notification of 2019 which identified Sammed Shikharji in Parasnath as an eco-sensitive zone (ESZ).
Hours before Shah’s scheduled arrival at Ranchi’s Birsa Munda International airport, JMM criticised BJP and accused it of playing with the religious sentiments of the people by not withdrawing the notification but only putting a stay on it.
JMM spokesperson Supriyo Bhattacharya said, “Their notification is the root cause of all problems. They could have easily withdrawn it. But they put a stay order on it instead and are now painting the Jharkhand government as an anti-Jain community in India and abroad.”
Bhattacharya said the Centre “cleverly tried to put the blame” on the current Jharkhand government in the Sammed Shikharji row by highlighting the Hemant Soren government’s tourism policy of 2021. “However, they were left red-faced after the CM in his letter (to Union forest minister Bhupender Yadav) highlighted the real problem which led to the row,” he claimed.
Notably, the Centre had on Thursday declared that the implementation of the provisions of Clause 3 of the eco-sensitive zone notification (of August 2, 2019) on the Sammed Shikharji Parvat Kshetra at Parasnath hills had been “stayed forthwith, including amongst others all tourism and ecotourism activities”.
Its office memorandum came hours after Soren wrote to Yadav and urged him to take appropriate steps to ensure the sanctity of the Sammed Shikharji by honouring the sentiments of the Jain community.
The JMM and its ally Congress also dared Shah to come clean on whether the Centre has any intention to include the Sarna religious code, definition of locals based on the khatiyan of 1932 and 27% reservation for OBC community in state government jobs in the Schedule 9 of the Constitution.
“We cordially welcome him to Jharkhand. But now that he is coming, he must answer these questions and also come clean as to why it had to notify Parasnath as an eco-sensitive zone,” Bhattacharya added.
Congress, which echoed JMM’s concerns, also urged Shah to specify the ground reality of the Mandal dam project which was inaugurated by PM Narendra Modi in 2019. “He must also answer as to what is being done to disburse Rs 1.36 lakh crore which the Centre owes Jharkhand and the steps being taken to revive HEC,” Congress spokesperson Rakesh Sinha said.