Jharkhand bandh on Sept 21
JMM-S to withdraw support today

PATNA, Sept 16 (PTI) — Political parties appear sharply divided in Bihar over the issue of creating a separate Vananchal state with the CPM today calling for a ‘rail and road blockade’ on September 21 to protest it and state leaders of the CPI and Janata Dal also voicing their opposition to it, while the BJP-Samata combine, the Congress and Jharkhand parties besides the CPI (ML) support the move.

In Ranchi, the Jharkhand Regional Congress Committee (JRCC) has given a call for an all-Jharkhand bandh on September 21 in protest against Mr Laloo Prasad Yadav’s stand on Vananchal.

The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha-Soren (JMM-S) will withdraw support to the Rabri Devi government tomorrow following the RJD president, Mr Laloo Prasad Yadav’s no to the creation of a separate state out of Bihar, the party's chief whip in state assembly, Mr Prashant Kumar, has announced.

Mr Kumar, considered to be close to the party president, Mr Sibu Soren, and the vice-president, Mr Suraj Mandal, said the withdrawal of support to the 'treacherous' ministry was now 'a mere formality'.

Stating that the JMM-S had already made his stand clear on the matter, Mr Kumar said the JMM-S Legislature Party would meet here tomorrow to take a formal decision.

He said soon after the meeting, a delegation led by Mr Soren and Mr Mandal would call on the Governor, Mr Sunder Singh Bhandari, to inform him about the party’s decision.

The JMM (S) decided to launch a 'decisive battle' for the creation of Vananchal state. "This time the battle will be final as 3 crore people of south Bihar are dejected following the announcement of Mr Yadav that Bihar will not be divided. The people of tribal belt are in an offensive mood and we cannot say if the movement will be violent or non-violent," party leader said.

The party, they said, would take the support of all political parties, including the BJP and the Congress, for launching a 'do-or-die' agitation for the creation of a separate state comprising 18 districts of south Bihar in the first phase.

A battle for 'greater Jharkhand state', comprising 26 districts carved out of West Bengal, Orissa and Madhya Pradesh, would continue in the second phase.

Meanwhile, the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) today decided to extend 'full' support to the Bihar State Reorganisation (Vananchal) Bill for the creation of a separate state in south Bihar.

The Bihar Vikas Party (BVP) today warned the Centre against creation of a separate state out of Bihar and said 'such an action may whip up passion and unleash violence and disturbances'.

The BVP leader said his organisation would launch a series of agitations from October 2 to oppose the Vananchal Bill, and 'expose the double-speak of Laloo Yadav on the matter.'

NAGPUR: Suraj Mandal, Deputy Chairman of Jharkhand Area Autonomous Council, on Wednesday hinted at a possible economic blockade within 15 days if the Centre did not go ahead with the formation of Jharkhand state.

He told newsmen here that they would not allow any mineral wealth to go out of Jharkhand and one of the steps proposed towards this was to enforce a ‘chakka jam’ (economic blockade).