Hemant Soren alleged that the center is abusing agencies such as the Enforcement Directorate
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Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren claimed on Saturday that this is an unprecedented case in which “a criminal or an accused” begs for punishment while the constitutional authorities who should have passed a verdict remain silent.
Soren referred to threats of his disqualification as an MLA on the basis of the election commission’s alleged advice to Jharkhand Governor Ramesh Bais on Aug. 25 in a for-profit case following a petition from the BJP. However, the governor is silent on the matter.
Constitutional bodies that were previously autonomous are now controlled by the central government, claimed Soren, who is also the executive president of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM).
“Have you ever heard of an example in the land where a criminal or an accused begs for punishment or to know the amount of punishment? speak, whatever the penalty,” Soren told a news conference here.
He lashed out at the BJP-led central government, alleging that in addition to constitutional authorities, it has also misused bodies such as the Enforcement Directorate to cause disruption in states ruled by non-BJP parties.
“Who is responsible for this? If a criminal holds a constitutional position and repeatedly tries to find out about his crime and punishment, make it clear to him. We have not seen such cases in the history of India.
“Our representatives met him (governor), I met the governor. We even applied through RTI to know the details,” said Soren, whose JMM-led coalition government will end three years in December.
He claimed that he felt ‘punished’ and a victim’ for lack of transparency.
“For me, the prevailing situation is nothing less than a punishment. I have said that if I have committed a crime, how can I hold a constitutional office,” he said.
The JMM leader lashed out at the saffron festival, saying that his leaders talk about ethics and morality, but do not follow the same.
“Our rivals are talking about morality and ethics. What kind of ethics is this? This can only be explained by them. Who is responsible for this – the governor, the Election Commission or those who support them? I am not aware of the verdict but it seems our adversaries know everything,” Soren said.
He claimed that the Center kept quiet about corruption cases against BJP leaders and “excessively abused” central forces against the opposition.
“Will Hemant Soren Indulge in a Scam for Only 88 Decimals of Land?” Soren asked, referring to the profits case office.
He claimed, without naming anyone, that constitutional authorities and experts such as “former chief justice and former attorney general” had expressed their views in his favor.
After a BJP petitioned Soren’s disqualification from the Assembly in a for-profit case, the EC sent its decision to the state’s governor on August 25, sparking a political crisis in the state.
While the EC’s decision has not yet been made official, there is buzz that the opinion panel has recommended that the prime minister be disqualified as an MLA over a mining lease.
Last month, Soren’s government won the Assembly confidence vote by a wide margin amid fears that the ruling MLAs of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha and Congress would be poached to overthrow the JMM-led regime. However, lawmakers from the opposition BJP-led NDA had staged a strike.
“I don’t know if the governor knows. We cannot run the government based on what the opponents say. It is a democratically elected government and will be governed constitutionally. We are still waiting for the verdict,” said the Prime Minister. said.
Soren claimed that the autonomy constitutional bodies previously enjoyed was not there and that they are “controlled”.
“See yesterday’s example. The Election Commission announced parliamentary elections in Himachal Pradesh, but not in Gujarat. Previously, they were scheduled according to a calendar, but now there have been changes. There is some power controlling it,” he said.
The announcement of election dates for the two states was expected to be made together.
As for the drought situation in the state, Soren said there was an assessment, and with the exception of five to seven percent of the area, the rest is suffering from the disaster.
A report will be prepared within 14 days and a special package will be requested from the Center, the prime minister said.
On the issue of the Lokpal proceedings against JMM supremo Shibu Soren, the CM said the saffron party knew how to set the political agenda.
BJP MP Nishikant Dubey had approached the Delhi High Court earlier this month to revoke his earlier injunction and cancel the proceedings initiated by the Lokpal against Shibu Soren over his “corruption” complaint. The case will continue to be heard on November 10.
In a case where a class 12 student was recently burned alive and the National Commission for the Protection of the Rights of the Child (NCPCR) claimed the police were uncooperative, he said they had been following the case quickly.
On cases of mob lynching, he said his government was trying to introduce legislation against mob lynching, which the BJP opposed, alleging that the state had become a “lynching party” during the Saffron Party’s previous five-year regime.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by DailyExpertNews staff and has been published from a syndicated feed.)
