Ranchi/Dhanbad: Congress party on Thursday upped its opposition against the Centre’s newly enacted Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 2026 and sought a transparent probe into the alleged irregularities in donations collected for the Ram Janmabhoomi temple in Ayodhya by staging coordinated protests across all 24 districts in Jharkhand.Party workers, led by office-bearers of its district units, submitted the memorandums to President Droupadi Murmu through the respective deputy commissioners.Congress accused the BJP-led Union govt of undermining the constitutional and financial rights of mineral-rich states. In Ranchi, state Congress president Keshav Mahato Kamlesh said any move that weakens the rights of states like Jharkhand over their mineral resources would not be acceptable. “Congress stands for transparency and constitutional rights. Allegations regarding devotees’ donations should be impartially investigated,” he said.Former Union minister Subodh Kant Sahay said states and local communities have a legitimate stake in natural resources and mining revenues. All India Congress Committee (AICC) secretary Pranav Jha said the new Act threatens the interests of the state.In Dhanbad, district Congress president Santosh Singh led a demonstration where state Congress general secretary Rakesh Kiran Mahto claimed the amendment could adversely affect Jharkhand’s economy, which is heavily dependent on mineral resources. “The state must receive its rightful share from its mineral wealth,” he said, announcing a phased agitation against the law.Hitting back, BJP state president Aditya Sahu termed the campaign of the Congress party misleading. He further alleged that the party was diverting attention from issues such as student protests and governance failures in Jharkhand.Sahu said no other state was opposing the amended law and alleged Congress feared losing illegal earnings linked to the coal sector. Sahu also accused the Hemant Soren-led govt of JMM, Congress and RJD of burdening industries with high cess on coal and iron ore and announced a BJP outreach campaign to counter India bloc’s misinformation against the Act.
