A statement by Ghulam Ahmed Mir, the AICC General Secretary and Jharkhand in-charge, during an election rally on November 14 has sparked a political debate. Mir, while addressing supporters in the Chandrapura area of Bermo constituency, promised that if the Congress party wins the upcoming elections, all citizens of Jharkhand will receive gas cylinders at a subsidized price of Rs 450, regardless of their background. His remarks included the controversial statement, "Whether they are Hindu, Muslim, or infiltrators, all citizens of Jharkhand will get gas cylinders at Rs 450 from December 1, without any discrimination."
The comment quickly drew strong reactions from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which accused Congress of appeasement politics and fueling polarization. BJP leaders, including Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, criticized Mir’s statement, calling it "anti-national." Chouhan further alleged that the Congress-JMM-RJD coalition was enabling illegal infiltration into Jharkhand for vote bank politics. He claimed that the government had aided infiltrators in obtaining voter and ration cards.
At a separate rally in Bokaro, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath joined the criticism, asserting that the BJP would not allow outsiders to take away the rights of Jharkhand's tribal communities. He also emphasized that the BJP would not tolerate the Congress’s promise to provide subsidies to infiltrators.
This controversy arises just days before the second phase of voting in Jharkhand’s elections, scheduled for November 20. The first phase took place on November 15, with vote counting set for November 23.
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