‘Jharkhand’s complete administrative setup is immersed in patronizing the corrupt,’ Seth declared to an audience packed with party workers and locals in the capital. He delved into specifics, referencing stalled probes into massive scams in coal block allocations and infrastructure projects, where influential figures within the government are said to have pulled strings to evade justice.

Seth lambasted the state leadership for prioritizing power retention over public welfare, alleging that tenders are rigged and contracts awarded to cronies. ‘This is not governance; it’s a protection racket for thieves,’ he asserted, backed by data from recent CAG reports highlighting irregularities worth thousands of crores.

As Jharkhand navigates pre-election fervor, Seth’s critique amplifies the opposition’s narrative of a corrupt regime. He outlined a vision for reform under BJP stewardship, including fast-track courts for corruption cases and digital transparency in all dealings. ‘We will dismantle this corrupt empire brick by brick,’ he pledged.

The speech resonated deeply in a state plagued by unemployment and developmental delays, often linked to graft. Rival parties dismissed Seth’s claims as election rhetoric, but with whistleblowers coming forward, pressure is mounting. Seth’s bold stance positions him as a frontrunner in the anti-corruption discourse, potentially reshaping alliances and voter alignments ahead of polls.

In the broader context, this confrontation highlights Jharkhand’s governance challenges, where resource wealth contrasts sharply with administrative failures. Seth’s call to action may just ignite the spark for meaningful change.

BJP’s national spokesperson R P Singh also took a dig at Mann, and told him to stop politicising the issue.

Chugh also said the lives of Punjab’s youth has been spoiled but “Mann is busy in marking his presence before Arvind Kejriwal in Delhi”.

“The time he spent in pleasing his political bosses, had he devoted the same in breaking this nexus of fraudulent agents, the youth would have been saved from this plight,” the BJP leader said.

Chugh also alleged that the AAP government has no policy for the youth, whom they have failed on all fronts.

The flight from the US is expected to land at the Amritsar airport around 10 pm on Saturday, official sources said. Among the 119 deportees, 100 are from Punjab and Haryana alone.

While 67 are from Punjab, 33 are from Haryana, eight from Gujarat, three from Uttar Pradesh, two each from Goa, Maharashtra and Rajasthan, and one each from Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir.

The second batch of illegal Indian immigrants includes four women and two minors, including a six-year-old girl. Most of the deportees are in the age group of 18 to 30, sources said.

A third plane carrying 157 deportees is also expected to land on February 16, they said.

On February 5, a US military aircraft carrying 104 illegal Indian immigrants landed at the Amritsar airport. Of them, 33 each were from Haryana and Gujarat, and 30 from Punjab.

Mann on Friday questioned the move to land another plane at the Amritsar airport, as he accused the Centre of trying to defame Punjab as part of a conspiracy.

“The BJP-led Centre always discriminates against Punjab. It does not let go of any chance of defaming the state,” Mann said while addressing the media in Amritsar.

“As part of a conspiracy, they are trying to defame Punjab and Punjabis,” he said.

Mann also asked the Centre under which criteria the Amritsar airport was chosen to land the second aircraft.

“What is the criterion for choosing Amritsar? The Centre and the Ministry of External Affairs should tell me. Why did you choose Amritsar and not the national capital? You did this to defame Punjab and Punjabis,” Mann said.

Noting that deportation is a national issue, Mann said it is being made to appear that only Punjabis migrate illegally.