Ranchi: A fresh political confrontation has broken out in Jharkhand after the BJP described Chief Minister Hemant Soren as a “Dimagi Naxal” in a social media post that included an AI-generated image of the JMM leader.
The ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) condemned the BJP’s remark and sought an explanation from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his party. The JMM questioned whether the BJP considered Jharkhand’s elected Chief Minister a Naxal and whether the term was being used for all opposition leaders or specifically for tribal Chief Ministers.
The dispute comes amid a prolonged row between the BJP and the JMM-led state government over matters related to employment, recruitment examinations and student protests.
The BJP has been attacking the Hemant Soren administration over alleged irregularities and paper leaks in examinations conducted by the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC).
BJP Targets Soren
In a post on X, the BJP accused the Soren government of jeopardising the future of Jharkhand’s youth. The post carried an AI-generated image of the chief minister and said, “How long will your Hitler-like authoritarianism continue by sacrificing the future of the youth, @HemantSorenJMM ji?”
The BJP further alleged that the government had misled young people and added, “Only a ‘Dimagi Naxal’ could think of deceiving the youth like this.”
The party claimed that the state’s youth were facing problems on two fronts. “On one side, there’s the long line of JPSC-JSSC scams and paper leaks, and on the other, when the youth take to the streets demanding their rights, they are beaten with batons, their movements are suppressed, and fake FIRs are slapped on them! This system, which toys with the future of the youth, will no longer be tolerated!” the BJP said.
“The youth of Jharkhand are asking questions — give them answers!” the party added in its post.
The BJP’s statement was issued against the backdrop of student-led demonstrations over alleged flaws in the recruitment process. Protests and hunger strikes had been organised by students demanding action over alleged examination irregularities and paper leaks.
JMM Hits Back At BJP
The JMM responded sharply, accusing the BJP of insulting Soren and attempting to demean tribal political leadership. The party asked whether the BJP’s description of the chief minister meant that it considered an elected representative of Jharkhand to be a Naxal, as reported by The New Indian Express.
“According to you, is the elected Chief Minister of Jharkhand a Naxal? Does your party consider every opposition Chief Minister a Naxal, or are only tribal Chief Ministers considered Naxals?” the JMM stated.
The controversy over the examinations had appeared to ease after the state government announced the cancellation of 22 tests conducted by the JPSC and JSSC. Students subsequently suspended their agitation, believing that their demands had been accepted.
However, the Jharkhand High Court later stayed the government’s notifications cancelling the examinations. Following the court’s order, students resumed their protests and accused the state government of misleading them into ending their stir by assuring them that their concerns would be addressed.
As part of the renewed protests, students organised programmes to burn effigies of Chief Minister Hemant Soren. These events led to clashes between demonstrators and JMM workers in Ranchi, Hazaribagh and Giridih. Several FIRs were registered against the protesting students after the incidents.
The BJP’s “Dimagi Naxal” remark has widened the row, which now covers exam irregularities, youth jobs, protests and tribal leadership in Jharkhand.
