Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday claimed the Bharatiya Janata Party government in Jharkhand had “buried” Maoist activities “20 feet under the earth”, PTI reported. Speaking at a rally in the state’s Chatra district, Shah claimed there was not a single corruption charge against the government, which is seeking a second term.

Assembly polls in Jharkhand will be held in five phases starting November 30. Results will be announced on December 23.

The BJP president said the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government had created Jharkhand in 2000 and the Narendra Modi dispensation was working to take it forward.

“I would like to ask Hemant Babu [Jharkhand Mukti Morcha leader Hemant Soren] what was the stand of [his ally] Congress when youth of Jharkhand were fighting for a separate state,” Shah said at the rally. “Jharkhand didn’t come into existence as long as there was Congress government. It was formed when BJP came into power.”

Shah also praised the Centre’s decision to remove the special status of Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 of the Indian Constitution and spoke about the proposed construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya.

“By abrogating Article 370 and 35A the Narendra Modi government has initiated work to remove terrorism from the entire country,” he said.

At another rally in Garhwa district, Shah said Maoism was a hindrance in the development of Jharkhand. “Congress was the biggest obstacle to Jharkhand’s creation but now Jharkhand Mukti Morcha’s Hemant Soren is sitting on its lap,” he said.

On Wednesday, the saffron party had released its manifesto for the state elections, promising, among other things, to bring the National Register of Citizens to Jharkhand to rid the state of Bangladeshi “infiltrators”.

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