Marandi's fast-unto-death enters fifth day

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JVM-P chief Babulal Marandi's fast- unto-death against the state government's anti-encroachment drive entered fifth day today even as the administration appealed to him to call it off and offered to hold talks on his demand for permanent settlement of the displaced people.

Deputy commissioner K.K. Sone and SSP Praveen Kumar Singh met Marandi at Mohrabadi, the venue of his hunger strike, last night and appealed him to break his fast. They also offered to hold talks with him on permanent settlement of the displaced people, officials said here on Thursday.

Marandi had resorted to the fast after four persons were killed in police firing at Matkoria in Dhanbad on April 27 and two died at Islam Nagar in Ranchi on April 5 when protesters opposed bulldozers flattening their dwellings.

Arjun Munda-led Jharkhand government, however, insisted that the administration was honouring the high court directive to remove encroachment in government land.

Marandi had said he will continue his fast till the state agreed to rehabilitate all the displaced people through legislation.

Meanwhile, Munda met governor M.O.H. Farook at Raj Bhavan on Thursday.

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".