Ranchi (Jharkhand) [India]November 3, (ANI): Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren has sought three weeks’ time from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to appear before the agency for questioning in the illegal mining case.
Regarding the petition, senior Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader Supriyo Bhattacharya said, “…Yes, of course we have sought time till November 23 as he cannot appear before the ED yet.”
“The chief minister always has a pre-planned schedule. We informed the ED about the entire program – the state foundation day on November 15 and the anniversary of our state assembly on November 22-23. Government programs will continue to happen. We have informed them about the schedule till November 23.”
The ED had sent a notice to Chief Minister Soren and he has been asked to come to the agency’s zonal office today to answer the agency’s queries. But Soren did not come and sent a time petition to the federal agency.
According to sources, the ED has not commented on when the agency wants to call him in view of the request made by him.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Soren said that the ED is free to arrest him if the central agency feels that he has committed a serious crime.
“Do you think I am a thief, that if they call me tomorrow, I will appear before them today? We had decided to participate in this (National Tribal Dance Festival) as per the invitation. If they think it is a If there is a serious offence, they can arrest me directly.’ Soren told reporters here.
Hemant Soren on Thursday challenged the ED to arrest him instead of summoning him for questioning.
Soren was to appear at the ED’s regional office in Ranchi on Thursday, but he skipped his visit. Addressing Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) workers outside his official residence before going to Raipur to participate in a tribal festival organized by the Chhattisgarh government, Soren urged his party workers to take a stand against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Urged to be prepared for a long political battle. ,
“I have been summoned by ED today when I already have an event in Chhattisgarh today. If I have committed such a big crime, come and arrest me. Why the inquiry?… Security has been beefed up near the ED office. Why are you afraid of the people of Jharkhand?” Soren said this amid heavy sloganeering in support of his party workers.
Soren said the federal agency was trying to intimidate him by showing muscle power as part of a “big conspiracy” to destabilize his government, which got a historic mandate in 2019.
“We have identified some outside gangs in the state who are not allowing the tribals of the state to stand on their feet. This state will not be ruled by external forces but by Jharkhandis… BJP will be wiped out in the upcoming Lok Sabha and assembly elections.
Urging his workers to be ready for a political battle, Soren said they need to go back to the villages and expose the “BJP conspiracy” to destabilize his government.
“We haven’t done anything yet. When Jharkhandi will get down to his own things, the day is not far where you won’t even get a chance to hide your head here,” he said.
Soren also called upon the tribals of Gujarat to ensure that the BJP loses all tribal seats in the upcoming assembly elections.
Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren was summoned by the ED on Thursday for a money laundering probe related to violation of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 and an illegal mining case in Sahebganj district. (ANI)
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