Union minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Monday said the National Register of Citizens would be implemented in Jharkhand if the BJP comes to power in the state. Speaking at Baharagora in Kolhan division of Jharkhand, Chouhan said the NRC would be implemented “so that foreign infiltrators don’t make Aadhaar cards and get their names enrolled in voter ID cards”. The BJP has repeatedly raised the issue of “Bangladeshi infiltrators” allegedly marrying tribal women, buying land, and usurping jobs meant for locals in the state. In an affidavit filed in the Jharkhand High Court on September 12, the Ministry of Home Affairs said the Centre is “concerned and alert regarding the illegal migration in parts of Jharkhand”, but “linkages to Bangladeshi immigrants” in any land-related cases were not established “so far”. Meanwhile, members of the Election Commission of India (ECI), led by Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, visited Ranchi on Monday regarding poll preparedness in the state that is set to hold elections later this year. A delegation of the state BJP had a meeting with the team and urged them to make arrangements to ensure that alleged infiltrators are not able to vote. The state BJP also questioned the “work and behaviour” of Jharkhand Home Secretary Vandana Dadel, alleging that she is “behaving like a political party worker”. The Indian Express had reported that Dadel wrote a letter to the ECI accusing Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Union Agriculture Minister Chouhan of having a “propensity to foment hatred across different communities” and threatening top bureaucrats of the state. “Apart from this, in the past also Vandana Dadel had written a letter to ED asking about the validity of a notice. This is not the job of the officer, it is the work of the political party. Hence, a demand has been made to keep Vandana Dadel free from election work, only then, clearly fair elections can be held,” said the state BJP.
