Jharkhand has been looted shamelessly: Modi

Kicking off Bharatiya Janata Party’s poll campaign in Jharkhand, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday launched an attack on the state government over the issue of development and asked the people to free the state from dynastic rule to end corruption.

"If you want Jharkhand to move on the path of development then free Jharkhand from pariwarwad (dynastic rule)," he said.

In an apparent reference to JMM supremo Shibu Soren and his Chief Minister son Hemant Soren, Modi said, "If you don't free Jharkhand from the dynastic rule, then their houses and family would get rich while the people will not benefit (from anything)".

"If you want Jharkhand to progress, want employment for youth and take the state to prosperity, you have to put an end to dynastic politics, the politics of father-son, brother-nephew and relatives," he told an election rally in Daltonganj.

"The state has been looted and there is corruption here. How much have they looted the state, but there is no shame," Modi said, without naming anyone.

He said development was the only solution for the growth of Jharkhand and urged people to give him a "chance to serve them".

Speaking about his recent visit to Australia, the prime minister said Jharkhand and the continent-nation have a lot of similarities with regard to their natural resources and population, while the former remained poor, the latter has grown.

"There are five rivers in the states, but farmers are languishing without water for their lands and villages are struggling for drinking water. The state is rich in terms of the natural resources, but its farmers are poor," he said and added that steps would be taken to interlink rivers for the welfare for the agrarians.

Taking a jibe at the JMM-led government, Modi said, the state government was allegedly scared of the visit of central ministers as it would expose the faults.

"They said they would not allow entry of any minister from Delhi. Even when I was (chief minister) in Gujarat, Delhi used to hurt us. But we did not do anything of that sort. But they know if any minister from Modi government comes, then they would unfold their corruption," he said.

He was referring to JMM publicly announcing in August that it would not allow any central minister to enter Jharkhand after the chief minister was hooted by the people in the presence of Modi at a function in Ranchi.

The JMM activists waved black flags at the convoy of two central ministers thereafter.

Criticising attempts to attack vehicles or intimidate ministers, Modi said people have the power to "demolish arrogance" in a democracy.

Reaching out to the tribals, the Prime Minister said he had asked scientists of Japan to research and find medicine for sickle cell anaemia, a hereditary ailment found in tribal families.

"I urged scientists in Japan to research on medicine to cure the disease and India will spend on it. And they assured me," he said.

The Prime Minister said, "I would like to move forward. Congress had nationalised banks 40 years ago saying money in banks should go to the poor but it did not happen even after so many years."

"Through the Jan Dhan scheme seven crore poor people have got pass books and they contributed Rs 50 to Rs 200 even as government announced it would contribute if any person did not have money. It shows the actual richness of the poor who have deposited (a combined) Rs 7000 crore in banks," he said.

On his tours abroad, which have drawn flak from the opposition, Modi said his mind is always occupied with the thoughts of service to the people of India.

"In Australia I went to a university and discussed with the scientists about increasing agriculture production by farmers in our country."

Modi said he had also discussed the need to increase vitamin A and iron content in banana crop to benefit the poor in India.

Referring to the closure of Japla Cement Factory in Palamau and underdevelopment of Jharkhand, the prime minister said he wanted to change the situation in Jharkhand and the Centre had already moved in that direction.

"Before me, many prime ministers came here and made tall claims. But I am a prime minister, who is not into big talks. I talk on small things like constructing toilets for mothers and sisters and separate toilets for girls in schools, a reason for their school dropout," he said.

The previous governments were ashamed of small jobs, he said, adding his government was determined to address small issues and move forward on the development path.