Babulal Marandi blames BJP for corruption in Jharkhand

As Jharkhand celebrates its tenth foundation day tomorrow, former chief minister, Babulal Marandi today alleged that corruption flourished during NDA rule led by Arjun Munda in successive terms in the state.

"The state has set landmarks of corruption, and blame should go to BJP which ruled for the maximum period of time since the state's creation on November 15, 2000. The tenure of Arjun Munda has been more than anybody else," Marandi told a news conference in Ranchi.

Marandi, who led the first NDA government and had severed relations with the BJP in 2006, demanded stringent punishment against those who had indulged in corruption.

Launching a website of his Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantric) party, Marandi further alleged that the vision document and other innovative schemes launched during his 28-month-long office starting midnight of November 14, 2000 had been ignored by other governments.

"Projects in irrigation, education, health, road, rural electrification, agriculture industry have been crying for attention all these years... instead of addressing the needs of local traders the subsequent governments went abroad to bring industrialists and signed several MoUs which have not moved an inch from the signing date," he said.

Though Jharkhand got extremism as a legacy from Bihar, Marandi claimed, his government had contained it to a large extent. "But now Naxalites have also spread their roots in the Santhal Pargana region" where the ultra-left guerrillas had no footing.