Violence in Ranchi due to weak leadership, CM Soren should resign: BJP

BJP on Saturday said the violence in Ranchi in which two lives were lost was the outcome of weak leadership and demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Hemant Soren "in the interest of the state".

In a statement here, BJP national vice-presdent Raghuabar Das said alleged that the Jharkhand government was not at all prepared despite the union home ministry cautioning it following protests against comments made by suspended BJP leader Nupur Sharma and Navin Kumar Jindal on Prophet Muhammad.

Taking advantage of the state government's unpreparedness miscreants went on the rampage and attacked religious places of the majority community for hours at Ranchi on Friday, Das, a former chief minister of the state, claimed.

The police has failed to control the unruly mob, he said adding the involvement of the banned Popular Front of India (PFI) behind Friday's violence cannot be ruled out.

Das demanded a probe in this regard.

PFI had been banned in the state in Februray 2019 when Das was at its helm to curb its anti-national activities and for keeping links with terror outfits like ISIS.

Terming Soren as "inefficient and inactive", Das demanded his resignation as "ruling the state is not his cup of tea".

Soren should resign in the "interest of the state", the BJP leader said and suggested that he hand over the baton to an efficient MLA of the ruling JMM in the state.

"I myself took to the streets and tackled the situation when anti-social element tried to disturb the tranquility and communal harmony in Ranchi during my tenure," he claimed and regretted that such incidents mostly affects poorer section of the society.

The anti-social elements have been indulging in such acts of violence ever since the 'maha-gathbandhan' (grand alliance) government came to power in the state, Das alleged.

Two people were killed and several others including the senior superintendent of police of Ranchi were injured in the violence at Ranchi. The district administration has clamped prohibitory orders under Section 144 CrPC in parts of the city and suspended internet services till further notice.