JMM(S) joins Yadavs’ new-found front

NEW DELHI, July 20: Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (S) president Shibu Soren along with his 18 MLAs today joined the newly floated Rashtriya Lokt...

NEW DELHI, July 20: Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (S) president Shibu Soren along with his 18 MLAs today joined the newly floated Rashtriya Loktantrik Morcha (RLM) “to strengthen” the movement aimed at dethroning the BJP-led Government at the Centre.

Soren, who is embroiled in the infamous MPs bribery case, accused the coalition Government for its failure in protecting lives and properties of the people and control price hike in the country. He said his party had joined the Morcha to make it an effective tool to take up the cause of poor and downtrodden. He said the front’s Patna and Lucknow rallies scheduled for July 29 and August 9 respectively would herald a new era of social movement against communal forces.

The Morcha was constituted on June 24 by Mulayam Singh Yadav and Laloo Prasad Yadav to pull down the BJP Government and form an alternative secular government.

Soren’s decision to join the front cames on the heels of his recent election to the Upper House. Terming it a tit-for-tat policy, a JMM MLA,told The Indian Express that Lalooji ne Guruji ko Rajya Sabha mein bheja to hame to unka samarthan karna hoga (This is our way to extend gratitide to Laloo who is responsible for seeing Guruji in the Rajya Sabha). RJD chief Laloo Yadav and Samajwadi chief Mulayam Singh Yadav were also present.

Highly critical of all political parties “whether it is Congress or the United Front”, Soren said “all parties had exploited both the tribes and the tribal region to get political mileage but none of them tried to bail them out from the socio-economic crisis by creating separate state out of Jharkhand.”

Expressing surprise over the Centre’s move to create Vananchal while the locals were demanding Jharkhand state for years, Soren said that renaming of the proposed Jharkhand state to Vananchal state was nothing but to get political benefit.

Laloo Yadav, however said: “It is irony that the Centre has decided to create Vananchal State but is yet to come out with its possible shape.”Replying to aquestion, Mulayam Singh Yadav made it clear that though the Left parties were not joining the Front at this stage, the Front would have “an understanding” with them on various crucial issues confronting the nation. An action plan would be unveiled to launch a nation wide agitation against injustices heaped on weaker sections after the said rallies, Yadav said. Further, Yadav said that he was for retaining the Udham Singh Nagar in Uttar Pradesh.