Babulal Marandi`s fast-unto-death enters fifth day

The fast-unto-death by JVM(P) chief Babulal Marandi entered its fifth day on Thursday with the administration appealing to him to call it off and hold a dialogue with the government.

Ranchi: The fast-unto-death by Jharkhand
Vikas Morcha (Prajatantric) chief Babulal Marandi entered its
fifth day on Thursday with the administration appealing to him to
call it off and hold a dialogue with the government on his
demand for permanent settlement for displaced people through
legislation.

Doctors are regularly checking Marandi`s
health, official sources said here.
Deputy Commissioner K K Sone and Senior Superintendent
of Police Praveen Kumar Singh called on Marandi at Mohrabadi,
the venue of his hunger strike, last night and urged him to
break his fast owing to his declining health condition,
official sources said today.

Marandi has resorted to the fast-unto-death after
six people were killed in police firing in Ranchi and
Dhanbad last month during anti-encroachment drive.

Jharkhand Chief Minister Arjun Munda recently told
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in Delhi that the demolition
operation was being carried out at the directive of the high
court.
Marandi had contended that the government should
convene a special assembly session to pass a bill that would
give legal rights to 19 lakh displaced people across the state
following setting up of at least 10 public and private sector
units across the state in the past.

Meanwhile, Munda met Governor M O H Farook at Raj Bhavan
today.

Though Raj Bhavan officials said it was a "courtesy
call", the meeting assumed significance in the wake of
widespread protests against the anti-encroachment drive and
Marandi`s fast-unto-death.

Marandi, the first chief minister of Jharkhand, had
floated JVM-P after he snapped ties with BJP five years ago
alleging "break of internal democracy in BJP".

PTI

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