BJP To Urge NHRC to Probe Recruitment Drive Deaths in Jharkhand: Himanta

Ranchi: Claiming that 15 candidates lost lives during physical tests for excise constable post in Jharkhand due to "excessive heat", Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday said the BJP would urge the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to probe into the deaths.

Sarma also said the state government should immediately suspend the physical tests till September 15.

According to the Jharkhand Police, deaths of 12 aspirants have been reported so far, while the state’s Health Minister Banna Gupta has put the figure at four.

"The BJP will urge the NHRC to probe into the deaths of the candidates. The Hemant Soren government should provide Rs 50 lakh and a job to each of the kin of the aspirants who lost their lives. If they fail to do so, the BJP will provide jobs to their family members after coming to power (in the state)," Sarma said.

Assembly elections in Jharkhand are due this year. Sarma is BJP’s Jharkhand election co-incharge.

"... I have seen recruitments of the army, CRPF and other security forces... After I became Assam CM, 6,000-8,000 constables are recruited every year... without physical tests, constables cannot be hired. Depending on the weather condition, we conduct physical tests of the constables.

“The Jharkhand government conducted it in this weather... In our country, we have never seen so many deaths even in army, CRPF or CISF recruitment. The deaths occurred due to excessive heat," he asserted.

He also announced that the saffron party will provide Rs 1 lakh each to the family members of the victims.

Welcoming Chief Minister Hemant Soren's announcement to halt the ongoing recruitment drive for three days, Sarma said the physical test of running be conducted only after September 15 when the weather conditions become conducive.

He also questioned the “delay” in conducting the physical tests, saying the state invited applications on June 1, 2023 and admit cards were issued in August that year, but the physical examination drive started from August 23 during “excessive heat”.

"This resulted in the deaths of 15 youths so far... The BJP condemns this strongly. The state government has become the cause of the deaths," the Assam CM alleged.

Sarma said saffron party leaders will meet the kin of those who died within a week.

The physical tests for Jharkhand excise constable recruitment began on August 22 at seven centres in six districts for 583 posts, and were scheduled to continue till September 9.

As of August 30, a total of 127,772 aspirants had participated in the physical tests, with 78,023 emerging successful, police said.

Terming Jharkhand Health Minister Banna Gupta's claim that only four aspirants died and the reason could be due to post-Covid complications as "ridiculous", Sarma said: "You should be ashamed that this matter is being linked with the Corona scam... Ask your CM what Covid vaccine was given here..." He also alleged that no postmortem examination was conducted in some Covid cases in the state.

Meanwhile, DGP Anurag Gupta on Monday said he has been informed that 12 aspirants have died so far.

"The chief minister has asked me to investigate and determine the exact cause of these deaths. We have registered the cases as unnatural deaths and are conducting postmortem," he said.

"We are also examining whether the deaths were due to underlying health conditions, insufficient arrangements or the consumption of any substance," Gupta added.

He emphasised that the recruitment process is being conducted transparently, with provisions for drinking water, toilets, ORS, doctors, ambulances, nurses and medicines at all centres.