Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday announced that if the BJP is elected to power in Jharkhand, it will implement the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) while excluding tribal communities from its provisions.

Speaking in Ranchi during the release of the party’s manifesto ‘Sankalp Patra’ for the upcoming Assembly elections, Shah emphasised that the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) government’s claims that the UCC would threaten tribal rights and culture are unfounded.

“Our government will introduce UCC in Jharkhand but tribals will be kept out of its ambit. The JMM government is making false propaganda that UCC will impact tribal rights and culture, which is totally baseless as they will be kept out of its ambit,” the senior BJP leader said.

Additionally, Shah stated that the BJP, if successful in the elections, would address the Sarna religious code issue and establish a Displacement Commission to aid those affected by industrial and mining activities in the state.

“BJP, if voted to power in Jharkhand, will deliberate on the Sarna religious code issue, and take appropriate decisions. A Displacement Commission will be formed to ensure the rehabilitation of people displaced by industries and mines in Jharkhand,” She said.

The party aims to create 500,000 job opportunities, including 287,000 government positions, to bolster employment in Jharkhand, the Union Home Minister promised.

Shah also assured that the BJP would conduct investigations by the CBI and SIT into ongoing “paper leak” scandals and ensure that those responsible are held accountable.

Moreover, he highlighted plans to enact laws to reclaim land from illegal immigrants and to identify and deport these individuals, asserting that the rights of land, women, and food for local residents are at risk due to illegal immigration.

He accused the JMM-led government of facilitating illegal immigration, claiming it had resulted in a decline in the tribal population and significant demographic changes in the state. Shah expressed concerns over Hindu communities feeling under siege and criticised the state government for widespread corruption.

Shah arrived in Ranchi on Saturday night and was set to hold rallies in Ghatshila, Barkatha, and Simaria the following day. The state Assembly elections, which will elect members to the 81-seat assembly, are scheduled to occur in two phases on November 13 and 20, with the results to be counted on November 23.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday said that the candidates for prestigious Amethi and Rae Bareli seats in Uttar Pradesh will be announced in a few days. He was addressing a press conference where he claimed that though the BJP says the corrupt must be put in jails, when leaders facing corruption charges join the saffron party, they are put on the lap and sent to Rajya Sabha or assembly.

On being asked about the names of the candidates for Amethi and Rae Bareli Lok Sabha constituencies he said the people will have to wait for a few more days. He said when the names of candidates come from people to him and he will sign the notification, then the announcement will be made.

On being questioned about Congress leaders changing constituencies Kharge asked how many times have Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Lal Krishna Advani changed their seats. His response came when asked about the BJP criticising Rahul Gandhi for fighting the elections from Kerala’s Wayanad instead of Amethi. Referring to Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Kharge said the Congress is not affected by people who grew up in the party and left it later.

The Congress president launched an all round attack on the BJP and PM Modi and said the prime minister did not implement even one of his electoral promises and still says Modi did a lot of work for the country. Addressing the press conference he said the BJP never fought for the independence of India, but Congress is a party of those who made India independent. He said the BJP never fought for the independence of India, for the development of India. The Congress President said the BJP speaks so much about patriotism and that the contribution of Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Lal Bahadur Shastri is nothing before them.

Heavy rainfall in Assam, Sikkim and North Bengal caused landslides and floods in multiple areas on Friday, compelling authorities to strengthen rescue and relief operations and evacuate the affected people to safer locations. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for North Bengal and Sikkim.

According to reports, floods in Assam have affected more than 67,000 people in 17 districts of the state. The affected districts are Biswanth, Chirang, Dhemaji, Golaghat, Baksha, Jorhat, Bongaigaon, Lakhimpur, Dhubri, Nagoan, Tamulpur, Kokrajhar, Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, Sivasagar and Majuli. The State Disaster Management Authority stated that major rivers, namely Brahmaputra, are flowing above the danger levels in several places. 

Reportedly, an embankment was destroyed in Majuli and 18 roads were damaged in Barpeta, Chirang, Majuli, Sonitpur, Golaghata, Sivasagar, Lakhimpur and Dhubri districts. Further, large-scale erosion was also reported from the state. A crop area of nearly 2770 hectares has been damaged. 49,535 animals were also affected in the northeastern state of Assam.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma asserted that excess water from the Kurichu dam in Bhutan was being released since the previous morning and district administration in the downstream area of Assam has been put on alert for possible flooding. 

On the other hand, in Sikkim, heavy rainfall triggered landslides in the state’s northern areas. Reportedly, a landslide in the 9th Mile area along Jawaharlal Nehru Road cut off the Nathu La Pass, that connects India and China and other tourist destinations such as Tsomgo Lake and Baba Mandir, from Sikkim’s capital Gangtok. In addition, North Sikkim has received heavy rains for the past seven days. 

Reports claim that on Thursday two people were swept away by the Kaljani river in North Bengal’s Alipurduar district. Furthermore, Torsa and Kaljani rivers in Alipurduar district crossed the danger mark after heavy rainfall for two consecutive days. Meanwhile in Jalpaiguri, the Army rescued nearly 72 people, who were stranded due to floods in Mechpara village near Hasimara.