Jharkhand Bharatiya Janata Party unit launched a sharp attack on Chief Minister Hemant Soren over his visit to Switzerland, terming it excessive and unnecessary, and alleging that it was being projected as an investment promotion tour despite having all the potential to be conducted within the country.
State spokesperson Pratul Shah Deo questioned the logic behind travelling nearly 7,000 kilometers to Switzerland to sign agreements with the Tata Group, which already has a major industrial presence in Jamshedpur, barely 135 kilometers from Ranchi.
He said the Chief Minister had “crossed all limits” by undertaking such a long foreign trip for engagements that could easily have been held in Jharkhand itself.
The BJP leader also claimed that reports suggest the Chief Minister may sign an agreement with Infosys during the visit. He pointed out that Infosys is headquartered in Pune, which is around one and a half hours away from Ranchi by air.
“If the Chief Minister was serious about investment, he could have invited these companies to Ranchi. They would have come on their own. What was the need to go to Switzerland?” he asked.
Describing the visit as more of a tourism trip than an investment drive, Shah Deo alleged that the growing influence of the Congress was visible in the functioning of the Chief Minister.
He recalled an old anecdote about former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru’s clothes being sent to Paris for washing, and compared it to the present situation where agreements with domestic companies are being signed abroad.
Shah Deo further criticised the government for neglecting thousands of small and medium enterprises in Jharkhand that are currently in distress.
He also referred to the Chief Minister’s earlier announcement about setting up a Volvo plant in the state, claiming that even after nine months, no official from the company had visited Jharkhand. He expressed surprise that the state’s Industry Minister was not part of the delegation on the foreign visit.
Also read: Jharkhand to host first-ever Hill Marathon at Netarhat
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