Leader of the Opposition and BJP’s Jharkhand unit president Babulal Marandi has sharply criticised the Hemant Soren-led government for renaming the Atal Mohalla Clinic initiative after Mother Teresa, alleging that the decision reflects “political ingratitude and moral decline”.
In a strongly worded statement issued on Friday, Marandi questioned the removal of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s name from the scheme, stating that “it was Vajpayee who gave Jharkhand its identity and recognised the aspirations of its tribal people.”
“Should this act be called ingratitude or an ethical collapse?” Marandi asked, accusing the ruling coalition of “stooping to new lows in politics by disregarding Vajpayee’s decisive contribution to the creation of Jharkhand.”
Recalling Vajpayee’s 1999 promise made from Jharkhand’s soil to carve out a separate state if voted to power at the Centre, Marandi said, “He kept his word the moment he assumed office. Jharkhand exists today because of his vision and resolve.”
The former Chief Minister questioned the utility of the name change and whether it will lead to tangible improvements in the state’s ailing public health infrastructure. “Will ambulances now arrive on time? Will patients find better care at clinics?” he asked pointedly.
While clarifying that the BJP holds Mother Teresa in high regard, Marandi said that if the government genuinely intended to honour her, it could have launched a new welfare programme inspired by her service to the poor. “Instead, the government has chosen to politicise even names, without addressing the real crisis in healthcare,” he remarked.
Highlighting ground realities, Marandi alleged that in several districts, pregnant women are forced to deliver by the roadside due to the unavailability of ambulances. Elderly patients are being carried to hospitals on makeshift stretchers, and even hearses are often unavailable.
“The government is busy renaming clinics while the public suffers in silence. It is symbolism over substance, and politics over public service,” he concluded.