Bus burnt, MLAs detained ahead of Modi's Jharkhand visit

Ranchi: Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi`s visit, a bus was burnt and five legislators were detained under preventive measures on Sunday as the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) has called a shutdown in Kolhan division to protest the visit.

"One bus was set on fire early Sunday at Mousabini of East Singhbhum district. Total 242 people, including five JMM legislators, have been detained. Security is in place for Modi`s visit," Jharkhand Police spokesperson S.N. Pradhan told IANS.

The JMM has called for a shutdown in Kolhan division, under which Jamshedpur falls, to protest the state`s new domicile policy and also against Modi using a corporate house stadium to address rural bodies` representatives.

"Modi is using the Panchayati Raj system for corporate houses. Why is Modi not holding the programme at a government stadium? Modi wants to facilitate corporate houses in the state to set up industries," Supriyo Bhattacharya, JMM general secretary, told IANS.

Around 3,000 Panchayati Raj representatives from across the country are expected to attend the conference at the Tata Sports Stadium, Jamshedpur, on Sunday.

Along with them, Modi will address the 258,000 gram sabhas in the country live through All India Radio and Doordarshan.

The JMM has called a shutdown on three issues: To oppose the Domicile Policy announced by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in the state; to highlight a case related to elected panchayat in a scheduled area; and also to register protest over Modi addressing the panchayat representatives from the Tata Sports Complex, which belongs to a corporate house.