The BJP claims the Jharkhand government has diluted the core spirit of the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act (PESA) by altering the definition of 'gram sabha' in its newly notified rules. BJP leader Arjun Munda stated that the PESA Act specifies self-governance based on customary laws, religious practices, and traditions, but Jharkhand's rules omit these core phrases. He alleged this omission sidelines the Act's definition, comparing it to a 'cold-blooded murder' of the spirit of self-governance, and contrasts it with PESA rules in other states.