Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Wednesday likened the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) to "rats" and accused the BJP and RSS of trying to destabilise communal harmony for electoral advantage in the state.

Speaking at a rally in Bhognadih, Sahibganj, Soren alleged the BJP was sowing division between Hindus and Muslims. He specifically pointed to Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s role in these tensions.

"RSS is creeping into the state like rats and causing destruction," Soren said in a virtual address from Ranchi. He urged villagers to reject those entering their communities with "handia" and "daru" (local liquor), accusing them of attempting to stir communal unrest ahead of elections.

Soren further warned of rising provocations by the BJP, such as incidents involving the throwing of meat into religious places, aimed at creating tension between communities.

Claims of Communal Disharmony

The Chief Minister criticised the BJP as a party aligned with traders and industrialists. He suggested they are buying political figures for their electoral gain. This was a veiled reference to former Jharkhand Chief Minister Champai Soren, who recently joined the BJP after expressing dissatisfaction with the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM).

Soren dismissed the BJP’s accusations of demographic changes in Jharkhand, urging them to examine data from neighbouring West Bengal instead.