People’s Marches in Jharkhand against Rafale Scam

THE Koderma Lok Sabha constituency in Jharkhand comprises four Assembly constituencies in Giridih as well as the entire Koderma District and some Blocks in Hazaribagh District. Protest marches were organized on 13 October 2018 in all these Blocks with the slogan ‘Rafale Thief, Quit Your Seat’ and effigies of Prime Minister Modi were burnt. Intensive campaigning is done in all the Blocks.

CPI(ML) activists held a meeting where they said that the Rafale scam is the biggest ever scam so far. In order to enable blue-eyed capitalist Ambani’s inexperienced company to loot state funds, the contract inked by the UPA government was cancelled overnight, a deal at several times the original price was signed with Rafale, and the responsibility of manufacturing the aircraft was snatched away from HAL and given to Ambani. This is not only a scam of thousands of crores but also a betrayal and risk to the country’s defence. The Modi government is constantly benefiting capitalists and cheating and looting the poor. The country’s security and safety, law, Constitution and democracy are being destroyed. After destroying the economy through demonetization and GST, corporate companies were given ample opportunity to loot banks and defaulting billionaires were allowed to flee the country. This fascist BJP government is a disaster for the country and the country cannot be saved unless they are thrown out in 2019 Lok Sabha election. The speakers also strongly condemned the violence against and driving out of Hindi-speaking migrants in Gujarat.

Protests and effigy burnings were also held in other districts such as Deoghar, Dhanbad, Bokaro, Ramgarh, Hazaribagh, Ranchi, Gumla, Latehar, and Garhwa. Protests were again organized at many Block HQs in Koderma Lok Sabha constituency on 15 October.