Ranchi, August 30, 2026: The BJP has stepped up its attack on the Congress over tribal issues, with party leader Babulal Marandi accusing the Congress of failing the state’s tribal communities and alleging that the party did little to improve their condition over the decades.
The remarks came during an Adivasi Mahajutan programme in Jharkhand, where speakers also raised concerns over demographic changes in the state and questioned the Congress’ role during the movement for a separate Jharkhand.
Former MLA Ram Kumar Pahan and Sunny Toppo were among those present at the programme.
BJP links tribal concerns to Jharkhand’s political history
BJP leaders argued that the tribal community has continued to face serious social and economic challenges despite India completing decades as an independent nation.
They alleged that Congress governments failed to adequately address these concerns and accused the party of using missionaries to influence tribal communities. The speakers claimed that missionaries, despite being educated, did not contribute to the development of tribal society in the manner expected.
The allegations were made as part of the BJP’s broader criticism of Congress at the gathering.
Congress’ role in separate Jharkhand movement questioned
The BJP also revisited the history of the separate Jharkhand movement, pointing to the period when the movement was being led by Shibu Soren and the government at the Centre was headed by P.V. Narasimha Rao.
Party leaders argued that Congress could have taken steps towards the creation of Jharkhand during that period if it had been politically willing to do so. They accused the party of keeping tribal interests unresolved and said the community continues to face several challenges.
Demographic change becomes a key point of BJP’s argument
Another major issue raised at the programme was the changing demographic profile of Jharkhand.
BJP leaders claimed that the decline in the proportion of the state’s tribal population was a matter of concern and warned that the situation could become more challenging in the coming decades if the trend continued.
They stressed that the figures being discussed were based on government census data and not BJP-generated statistics.
Leaders cite 1991 and 2011 census figures
The speakers cited census figures to underline their concerns, claiming that Jharkhand’s tribal population share declined from 35.38% in 1991 to 26.20% in 2011.
They further claimed that if the trend continued at a similar pace, the tribal population’s share could fall to around 21% by 2051.
The 2051 figure was presented as a projection by the speakers at the event rather than an official census figure.
Unverified allegation involving Catholic church
An allegation was also made at the programme that a Catholic church in a rural area had issued a letter asking people to participate in the rally and warning of a fine for those who did not attend.
No document or independent verification of this claim was provided in the source material. The allegation therefore remains unverified.
BJP promises to protect tribal identity and rights
Concluding their attack on Congress, BJP leaders said their party would not allow tribal communities to be exploited and pledged to protect their traditional practices, cultural identity and rights.
They appealed to members of the tribal community to consider issues concerning their long-term interests and accused Congress of attempting to mislead them for political purposes.
The statements and allegations in the programme represent the BJP’s position. No response from the Congress to the specific allegations was included in the material provided.
