Jharkhand: BJP memo to governor for dismissal of minister for his ‘anti-constitution’ remarks

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) staged a massive demonstration in Ranchi on Wednesday demanding the dismissal of Jharkhand Minister Hafizul Hasan for his recent remarks that the party’s claims undermine the Constitution.

Led by state BJP President and Leader of the Opposition Babulal Marandi, a delegation of the saffron party met Governor Santosh Gangwar at Raj Bhavan and submitted a memorandum seeking Hasan’s immediate removal from the cabinet.

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Before submitting the memorandum, hundreds of BJP workers and office-bearers from Ranchi urban and rural units marched from Shaheed Chowk to Raj Bhavan, raising slogans against the state government. The party alleged that the minister’s statements directly violated his constitutional oath and were unacceptable in a democratic setup.

The delegation included BJP Working President Dr. Ravindra Kumar Rai, Union Minister Annapurna Devi, MPs Sanjay Seth, Deepak Prakash, and Aditya Sahu, Dr. Pradeep Verma, MLA Naveen Jaiswal, former MLA Jeetu Charan Ram, Ramkumar Pahan, district presidents Varun Sahu and Vinay Kumar Mahato, along with Kamal Khan and Rafia Naz.

The BJP, in its memorandum, cited Hasan’s controversial remarks — “We keep the Quran in our hearts and the Constitution in our hands”, and “For me, Sharia comes first, Constitution later” — as inflammatory and a breach of constitutional principles. The party accused him of prioritizing religious law over the Constitution and said such a mindset encouraged divisive elements.

The party also referred to another state minister, Irfan Ansari, who allegedly opposed the implementation of the Waqf Amendment Act passed by Parliament. BJP called his statement unconstitutional and claimed that such utterances point to a growing state-sponsored constitutional crisis.

BJP leaders further alleged that this attitude from the ministers has emboldened disruptive forces, leading to increased incidence of violence, stone-pelting, and communal clashes during Hindu festivals like Ram Navami, Dussehra, Saraswati Puja, Shivratri, and Sarhul. They claimed the law and order situation in the state is steadily deteriorating.

Asserting that no one, who has taken an oath to uphold the Constitution, should be permitted to publicly defy its tenets, the BJP urged the governor to direct the chief minister to dismiss Hafizul Hasan from the cabinet. The party emphasized the need to safeguard constitutional integrity in Jharkhand.