 "Infiltrators marrying tribals won't get land, says Amit Shah in Jharkhand")
Union Home Minister Amit Shah, addressing a rally in poll-bound Jharkhand, made strong remarks against ‘infiltrators’, promising to protect tribal land and crackdown on corruption if the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is voted to power, reported NDTV.
Shah said that ‘intruders’ marrying tribal women would no longer be entitled to claim land in their wives’ names. “Infiltrators are grabbing land by marrying our daughters. We will bring a law to prevent this and form a committee to identify infiltrators, drive them out, and reclaim the grabbed land,” Shah said at a rally in Jharkhand’s Seraikela.
The Union Home Minister's comments mirror recent attacks by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who accused the ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM)-Congress alliance of supporting ‘Bangladesh infiltrators’ to gain votes. Speaking in Garhwa last week, PM Modi said, “The JMM-RJD-Congress government has taken appeasement to its peak... They are supporters of infiltrators and are settling them across Jharkhand to secure votes.”
Champai Soren and tribal politics
Shah also criticised the JMM over its treatment of Champai Soren, a former party leader and prominent tribal figure, calling it “an insult to tribal people”. Champai Soren, who was briefly made Chief Minister following Hemant Soren’s arrest on corruption charges, was ousted after Hemant Soren secured bail. Soren later joined the BJP in August, bolstering the party’s efforts to strengthen its appeal among tribal communities — a key JMM voter base.
The Prime Minister also weighed in on Champai Soren’s removal, accusing the JMM and Congress of “leaving no stone unturned in humiliating an Adivasi son.”
Corruption allegations and economic promises
Shah further accused the ruling coalition of corruption, citing scams worth thousands of crores. “The corrupt leaders of the JMM-Congress alliance will be jailed if the BJP returns to power,” he said. He alleged Rs 1,000 crore jobs scam, a Rs 300 crore land scam, and a Rs 1,000 crore mining scam under the current government.
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Shah pointed to cash recoveries implicating Congress leaders. He indicated the Income Tax Department’s December raid on Rajya Sabha MP Dhiraj Sahu’s residence, which uncovered Rs 350 crore — the “highest-ever seizure” in a single operation. Similarly, he highlighted a Rs 35 crore recovery in May from the private secretary of Congress leader Alamgir Alam.
“Rs 350 crore was found at the house of a Congress MP, and Rs 35 crore was seized from Alamgir Alam’s residence. This money, sent by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for Jharkhand’s youth, was eaten up by the Hemant Soren government,” Shah alleged.
Promising better governance, Shah pledged that a BJP-led state government would ensure every Rs 1 sent by the Centre would be supplemented by 25 paise from the state, making Rs 1.25 reach the people.
The stakes in Jharkhand
The BJP is intensifying its efforts to unseat the JMM-Congress alliance in the mineral-rich state. Tribal votes remain a critical battleground, and Shah’s focus on land issues and tribal welfare is aimed at consolidating support. The BJP is also leveraging corruption allegations to corner the ruling coalition as the state gears up for high-stakes Assembly elections.