BJP State President and Leader of Opposition Babulal Marandi, reacting strongly to the recent terrorist incident in Pahalgam, drew parallels with what he described as a growing “radical mindset” within the Jharkhand government itself.
Expressing condolences to the families of those killed in the attack, Marandi said the BJP in Jharkhand stands firmly with the victims in their hour of grief.
Calling the Pahalgam attack a “first of its kind” where terrorists allegedly forced people to recite religious verses before killing them, Marandi stated, “The mindset that leads one to ask religion, strip victims, and test them by Kalma before executing them—this is not just terrorism of the body, it is terrorism of the mind.”
He further alleged that a similar ideology was present within Jharkhand’s ruling establishment. “Ministers in this government hold Sharia above the Constitution,” he claimed. Referring to past controversial statements by certain leaders, Marandi said, “People who proclaim that Muslims are not in the grave but in patience, and that if they take to the streets there will be bloodshed—such people today occupy positions of power.”
While condemning violent extremism, Marandi stressed that even without weapons, radical thinking is dangerous. “They may not wield arms, but their words are loaded. The difference lies only in tools, not in thought,” he said.
Marandi also urged democratic resistance to such ideology, stating, “If there are issues, let them be addressed democratically. There are many avenues in democracy, but violence has no place here.”
He demanded that any minister or public representative who places religious law above the Constitution should be immediately removed from office. “The sanctity of a democratic setup cannot accommodate those who reject its very foundation,” he said.
Present with Marandi during the press briefing were BJP spokespersons Ramakant Mahato, Vijay Chaurasia, Misfika Hasan, and Yogendra Pratap Singh.