Jamshedpur: Jharkhand People's Party (JPP) today asked the JMM to withdraw support from Manmohan Singh-led UPA (United Progressive Alliance) Government at the Centre accusing the major coalition partner Congress of not extending enough support to beleaguered JMM (Jharkhand Mukti Morcha) supremo Sibu Soren.

The Congress party adopted reticent attitude about the Soren issue even after warrants were being issued against him one after another, JPP chief Surya Singh Besra said.

While BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) was deliberately implicating the JMM supremo with the sole aim to tarnish his and the party's image before the Assembly polls, Congress preferred to maintain silence on the issue, Besra alleged.

The JPP leader claimed that the UPA would collapse if JMM withdrew its support adding JMM has five members in the Lok Sabha and the stability of UPA Government largely depended on its support.

Besra, who was recently served with a non-bailable warrant by a local court in connection with a 12-year-old case, also called upon the JMM to launch a mass movement after pulling out of the UPA Government to force Soren's release from prison.

The JPP leader made the comment after a Delhi court yesterday (Aug 19, 2004) issued a production warrant to the Superintendent of Jamtara Jail, where Soren is currently lodged in connection with the 1975 Chirrudih massacre case.

While a Jamshedpur court on August 16 granted bail to the JMM supremo in a case of violation of section 144 CRPC in 1999, a Giridih court on August 13 rejected his bail plea and directed him to be kept in judicial custody till disposal of the 1974 Kudko murder case. A Jamtara court on August 18 extended the judicial remand of the former Union minister till September 22 in the Chirrudih case. Soren is in judicial remand since August 2.

In these three separate cases, Soren had been served non-bailable arrest warrants following his jumping of bail and misusing dates, thus delaying the judicial process.