Controversy broke out after Congress leader Ghulam Ahmed Mir allegedly promised LPG cylinders to “leakers”, which led to the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha issuing a statement.

In a video circulating on social media, Mir was heard saying that the Congress would provide LPG cylinders to everyone, including “leakers”.

“We have promised that if our government is formed, we will provide gas cylinders at a cost of Rs 450 from December 1. This will be for the common masses… it will be given to all citizens of Jharkhand, be it Hindu, Muslim or infiltrator, the factor will be taken into account and not anyone else,” Mir said in the video.

Jharkhand AICC in-charge Ghulam Ahmed Mir promised ₹450 LPG to illegal Bangladeshi and Rohingya infiltrators if they come to power

Matlab hum sab full price mein LPG cylinder ghuspaithiyon ke liye le ?

Himmet?

Ab na sahenge, na kahenge, Jharkhand mein sarkar badal… pic.twitter.com/Wr8jw42ain

— Sameer (@BesuraTaansane) November 14, 2024

Later, Mir made a statement stating that half of the clip was circulating on social media. “In the first half of the clip, we asked the BJP government at the Center to identify who these spies are, otherwise they will call the people of Jharkhand as spies,” Mir said.

“In this context, we said that LPG cylinders will be given to the residents of the state. According to the BJP, if they are infiltrators, it is their problem, for us they are residents,” he added.

The alleged remark drew the ire of the Bharatiya Janata Party as Prime Minister Narendra Modi broke his poll promise saying it was an example of the Congress playing with the country and the bright future of its children to get votes.

Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said the Congress-JMM-RJD government “supports infiltration into Jharkhand”.

At another rally in Bokaro, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said: “The incumbent Congress has promised to give cylinders to Hindus, Muslims and infiltrators. The BJP will not allow the rights of tribals to be handed over to infiltrators.”

In an attempt to quell the increasing attacks by the BJP, the JMM issued a statement that by spies Mir meant Muslims as “in the eyes of the BJP, spies are Muslims…”

“Mir Sahab has clearly said that we will give it to everyone (for Rs 450 per LPG cylinder), we are not doing ‘jumlabaazi’, we will give it to everyone – Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, tribals, non-tribals, Dalits, in the eyes of the BJP, the infiltrators are the Muslims,” ​​the JMM leader said Manoj Pandey.

“Mir Sahab said that we will give it to the spies as well, that is, we will give it to all Muslims who are our citizens, who are the original inhabitants of this place. We are determined, we will give cylinders for Rs 450 and people believe our words,” he added.