The Badlao Yatra meeting of JMM’s working president Hemant Soren here in Daltonganj’s Shivajee Maidan on Saturday started one and a half hour late waiting for the crowd to swell as the meeting which was said to start at 12.30 had hundreds of chairs empty by then.

Audiences began to be seated by 1.30 pm and Soren arrived at the venue around 2 pm in the day and by then, the venue was all filled with people with traditional music. Leaders joined the meeting with their supporters carrying full length JMM party flags which covered every inch of the ground. The gathering was of around 4,000 people said JMM workers themselves. 

Soren in his speech lambasted Raghubar Das Government and at the same time he spoke about his party’s plan to do if it comes to power.  He took minutes to tell the gathering about the meaning, motive and purpose of his Badlao Yatra which entered its 5th leg here today.

Soren picked up the issue of the free hold of Khas Mahal land here, which Das government has most recently announced with a slab of 30 per cent ‘salami’ for the commercial purposes and 15 per cent ‘salami’ for the residential purposes and some overzealous BJP leaders here blew this announcement out of all proportions regardless of its delicacies thus gave a weapon to opposition parties to hit Das government over this free hold of Khas Mahal land.

A BJP leader said our own party men here in Daltonganj sitting in AC room created an euphoria over Khas Mahal land free hold decision of the Das Government

without any understanding of its complexity and now it is politically boomeranging upon the party.  

Soren said, “This Government is doing like a don over the issue of Khas Mahal putting people in further distress but did not utter a word what his party’s stand will be for it if it comes to power.

Soren in a direct hit on journalists said Das government is giving them cash to write good things about his Government. “Batches of journalists are being sent by Das government to districts to give pompous picture of his Government,” reiterated Soren.

He said the state treasury has gone empty and this Government has no money to pay salary and wages to its employees as a result men and women like Anganwadi sewikas and para teachers are on strike.

Soren urged people to have a change of guard in the State and promised his

party if voted to power will take care of farmers, students, jobless youths, women and go for all out development.