Bokaro: State Education Minister Jagarnath Mahato on Thursday told a journalist, who was a native of Bihar, that 'it would be best if he goes back to his state as soon as possible. The minister spewed this controversial comment while speaking to a group of journalists in Bokaro, while he was speaking about Hemant Soren's recent statement over the state’s new domicile policy and how the land records of the year 1932 will not be the ‘only factor’ to base it on.
Mahato has been in support of the 1932 survey as opposed to what was suggested in this statement given by the Jharkhand CM over a month ago. "If the 1932 survey was relevant in Bihar before Jharkhand separated, it would be relevant here (Jharkhand) too," he said. When one of the journalists tried to counter-question the statement, the minister averted it with a light-toned "Why do you care so much? Are you from Bihar?", to which the journalist responded in the affirmative.
Slightly startled by the answer, the minister then asked him to 'go back to his state with his mike and other stuff', trying to deliver his words in a subtle tone. Stretching the questioning streak, another journalist asked the minister 'Why is it a crime to be from Bihar?'. The minister, now laughing to milden the growing tension, said, "No, but to say that out loud is."
The speculations over the new domicile policy, which would directly impact the citizenship and land rights of the natives in Jharkhand, have been in the limelight for the past few months in the state. As against the CM's proposal to limit the role of the 1932 survey in the policy, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha leader Shibu Soren had earlier said that 1932 should be made the cut-off date for the state's domicile policy, while Mahato had supported the stance along with Transport Minister Champai Soren.
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