Jharkhand LoP Babulal Marandi returns bulletproof car to state government citing repeated malfunctions

Jharkhand Leader of Opposition and BJP leader Babulal Marandi. | Photo credit: ANI

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 that the vehicle repeatedly broke down during inspections.

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In a letter to Chief Minister Hemant Soren, Mr. Marandi informed his decision by writing him a letter claiming that the dilapidated bulletproof SUV allotted to him was 13 years old. He also mentioned that the three cars used by the security personnel in his convoy are still in a deplorable state, having traveled over four million kilometers.

“I am formally returning the bulletproof vehicle provided by the state government for my security. Kindly instruct the home ministry to accept this vehicle properly and provide confirmation to my office,” the BJP leader wrote. He gave seven days for Mr. Soren to respond.

Mr. Marandi further said that he was forced to write directly to the Chief Minister despite informing senior officials from the CM’s house that his vehicle was repeatedly breaking down during the journey. He asked Mr. Soren if he would like to make his next trip in such a vehicle.

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

“The Ministry of Home Affairs 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 reserve by the headquarters for the movement of VIPs. In that letter, I pointed out that former chief ministers are forced to go on tours with vehicles that are often broken down,” Mr. Marandi said.

Continuous reminder

He questioned the government that almost eight months had passed since his last letter, what instructions had been given by the Chief Minister to his constant reminders. Mr. Marandi also mentioned that even the Director General of Police (DGP) has been informed several times about this situation.

“A vehicle breakdown in the middle of a journey may be recorded as a routine maintenance issue in your office records. But on the road, the driver and security personnel pay the price. At such times they are forced to choose between driving a stopped vehicle, directing traffic or ensuring the safety of the individual they are tasked with protecting,” Mr Marandi said.

The Leader of the Opposition claimed that on numerous occasions he found the vehicle exchange “blocked from above”.

“Hemant ji, who exactly is ‘above’? If such an instruction was issued, in what capacity and on what basis was it issued? If there is no such instruction, then on whose behalf are these officials delaying the decision? Either way, it is your responsibility to state the truth,” Mr Marandi said.

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

Suspicion of malice

Mr Marandi argued that political malice could be suspected if new vehicles were allocated for the Chief Minister, but the two former Chief Ministers, who are now in opposition, are forced to write repeatedly just to keep their own convoys running.

He sought answers to how many purchased vehicles are currently in service, how many need to be kept in reserve, and what decisions have been made regarding the replacement of vehicles that have repeatedly broken down.

Reacting to the surrender of the bulletproof vehicle, spokesperson for ruling alliance partner Jharkhand Congress, Sonal Shanti, said the state government would look into his concerns, but hinted that the blending of ethanol with petrol could be a possible reason for the vehicle’s malfunction.

“Our leader Rahul Gandhi has pointed out that in India petrol is not only blended with up to 20% ethanol but the blending levels are as high as 32% to 40%. It is possible that Babulal Marandi’s vehicle broke down because of this excessive ethanol blending,” Mr Shanti said.

Published – 9 Nov 2026 21:11 IST