BJP slams Hemant Soren’s supporters for accusing Centre of ‘harassing’ him

PTI, Feb 1, 2024, 8:25 PM IST

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The BJP on Thursday slammed the supporters of Hemant Soren for accusing the Centre of “harassing” the tribal leader for political gains and said the former Jharkhand chief minister has been arrested for his indulgence in “corruption and loot” in the state.

Addressing a press conference here, senior BJP leader and former Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said after Soren’s arrest, his supporters are alleging that the Centre is ”attempting to break (destabilise) the opposition parties’ governments and harass the tribal leaders”.

“The Narendra Modi government cares a lot about the tribal society,” he said and highlighted various measures taken by the Centre for the welfare of the scheduled tribes in the country.

The BJP leader also referred to the election of Droupadi Murmu as the first woman President of the country from the tribal community.

Prasad said Soren has been arrested in a money laundering case, linked to “land scam” in Jharkhand.

“You come from a tribal community. Is it your work to promote land scam in Ranchi under your nose and that too Army land which nobody touches,” Prasad charged.

“Where is it written that you loot and indulge in corruption. And when action is taken, it is alleged that a tribal is being harassed,” he added.

The BJP’s reaction came after the opposition leaders accused the BJP government of suppressing the voice of the Opposition through probe agencies such as the Enforcement Directorate (ED) a day after JMM leader and former Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren was arrested on money laundering charges.

Referring to media reports, the BJP leader said there are three cases against Soren – ”the first case is related to loot of land, second illegal mining and third pertains a scam in coal mines”.

“He has been produced in a court in connection with one of the three cases,” Prasad said.

A dozen land parcels in Ranchi measuring about 8.5 acres in total are in ”illegal possession, occupation and use” of the arrested former Jharkhand chief minister and are proceeds of crime under the anti-money laundering law, the Enforcement Directorate has claimed.

The Enforcement Directorate on Thursday produced Soren before a special PMLA court in Ranchi which remanded him to judicial custody for a day.

Soren was arrested by the probe agency on Wednesday after several hours of questioning in the money laundering case.

“It came out during the investigation that a big gang operates in Ranchi which takes possession of land making fake documents and then sells it. And in that many IAS officers were contributing,” Prasad said and alleged that all of them enjoyed Soren’s protection.

“You (Soren) talk about tribals and you are looting tribals’ land,” he added.

Prasad alleged that Soren allotted land in the name of his wife and allotted a mine to himself, and got a mining license too.

”Scam after scam happened and money was laundered. Shouldnt there be any investigation? Definitely, the probe should happen,” he added.