Jharkhand LoP Babulal Marandi returns bulletproof car to State government citing repeated breakdowns

Jharkhand Leader of Opposition and BJP leader Babulal Marandi.

Former Jharkhand Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Assembly Babulal Marandi on Monday (November 9, 2026) returned his bulletproof car to the Hemant Soren government claiming the vehicle was repeatedly breaking down during tours.

In a letter addressed to Chief Minister Hemant Soren, Mr. Marandi informed his decision by writing a letter to him asserting that a dilapidated bulletproof SUV allocated to him is 13 years old. He also mentioned that the three cars used by the security personnel in his convoy are equally in dilapidated condition, having covered over four lakh kilometres.

“I am formally returning the bulletproof vehicle provided by the State government for my security. Please instruct the Home Department to duly accept this vehicle and provide an acknowledgment to my office,” the senior BJP leader wrote. He gave seven days for Mr. Soren to respond to him over the issue.

Mr. Marandi further said he was compelled to write to the Chief Minister directly despite having informed senior officials of the CM’s house that his vehicle repeatedly breaks down mid-journey. He asked Mr. Soren whether he would like to undertake his next tour in such a vehicle.

Mr. Marandi reminded the Chief Minister that on March 21, 2026, he had written him a letter to draw his attention to this matter.

“Home Department had procured 17 bulletproof vehicles in December 2024. Of these, three were allocated for your use and two for the Raj Bhavan, while the remaining 12 were kept in the headquarters’ reserve for the movement of VIPs. In that letter, I pointed out that former Chief Ministers are forced to undertake tours with vehicles that are 10-12 years old, and that the vehicle allocated to me also breaks down frequently,” Mr. Marandi said.

He questioned the government that almost eight months having passed since his last letter, what instructions have been given by the Chief Minister over his continuous reminders. Mr. Marandi also mentioned that the Director General of Police (DGP) has also been informed of this situation on several occasions.

“A vehicle breaking down mid-journey might be recorded as a routine maintenance matter in your office files. On the road, however, it is the driver and the security personnel who pay the price. In such moments, they are forced to choose between managing a stalled vehicle, handling traffic, or ensuring the safety of the individual they have been tasked to protect,” Mr. Marandi said.

The Leader of Opposition claimed that on many occasions, he has come to know that changing the vehicle is being “blocked from above”.

“Hemant ji, who exactly is this ‘above’? If such an instruction was issued, in what capacity and on what grounds was it given? If no such instruction exists, then in whose name are these officials deferring the decision? In either case, it is your responsibility to bring out the truth,” Mr. Marandi said.

He also mentioned that former Chief Minister Arjun Munda had also raised concerns regarding the condition of his security vehicles and sent six letters between July 2024 and June 2026 regarding this issue.

Mr. Marandi asserted that one would suspect political malice if new vehicles are allocated for the Chief Minister’s use, but two former Chief Ministers who are now in the Opposition, are forced to repeatedly write just to keep their own convoys operational.

He sought answers on how many of the purchased vehicles are currently in use, how many are required to be kept in reserve, and what decision has been taken regarding replacements for vehicles that have repeatedly broken down.

Reacting to the surrendering of the bulletproof car, ruling alliance partner Jharkhand Congress spokesperson Sonal Shanti said the State government will look into his concern but indicated that the blending of ethanol in petrol could be a possible reason for the vehicle’s breakdown.

“Our leader Rahul Gandhi had pointed out that in India, petrol is not just being blended with up to 20% ethanol, the mixing levels are reaching as high as 32% to 40%. It is possible that Babulal Marandi’s vehicle broke down due to this over-blending of ethanol,” Mr. Shanti asserted.