Ranchi, April 19: A delegation of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders, led by State President and Leader of Opposition Babulal Marandi, met Jharkhand Governor Santosh Gangwar on Friday, demanding the dismissal of Minority Welfare Minister Hafizul Hasan Ansari for allegedly making remarks that undermine the Indian Constitution.
The BJP memorandum submitted to the Governor claimed that Ansari stated he keeps the Quran in his heart and the Constitution in his hands, and that Sharia comes before the Constitution. The delegation alleged these views were unconstitutional and damaging to the democratic framework.
The memorandum also cited a separate statement by Congress legislator and Minister Irfan Ansari, who allegedly said the Waqf Amendment Act passed by Parliament would not be implemented in Jharkhand.
“These views are encouraging fanatic elements in the state, resulting in repeated violence, stone-pelting, and communal disturbances during Hindu festivals like Dussehra, Ram Navami, and Sarhul,” the BJP said in its complaint.
Before submitting the memorandum, hundreds of BJP workers staged a demonstration in Ranchi, marching from Shaheed Chowk to Raj Bhawan, raising slogans against the state government and calling for immediate action.
“There is a democratic system in the country where the people of India have adopted the Constitution of Dr. Ambedkar. Sharia is a personal matter which cannot be implemented in governance,” Marandi told reporters.
Union Minister Annapurna Devi criticized the state government, saying it was “neck deep in appeasement” and that ministers were “leaving no stone unturned in disrespecting the Constitution.” Fellow Union Minister Sanjay Seth added, “Those who think of running the government according to Sharia have no place in democracy. Such people should find some other option.”
There was no immediate response from the Jharkhand government or the ministers named in the BJP’s complaint.
