Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Thursday skipped summons issued by the Enforcement Directorate to face questioning in connection with a case of alleged illegal mining and is going to Chhattisgarh to attend a tribal programme instead.

The ED had asked Soren to appear for questioning at its regional office here at 11 am but he did not go there, reports PTI.

"The ED has summoned me following a conspiracy. Come and arrest me if I have committed a crime instead of sending a summons for questioning."

"I am neither afraid nor worried. Rather I am emerging stronger. If people of Jharkhand wish, opponents will not find a place to hide," Soren said while addressing JMM workers near his residence.

He said he will fly to Raipur to attend a Tribal Mahotsav' during the day, for which he had received an invitation.

The JMM executive president alleged that the BJP is making attempts to destabilise his democratically elected government ever since it was voted to power.

“ED is probing a case on Opposition’s (read BJP’s) request. I too have been summoned. I am not afraid of facing them. If the ED can summon leaders of the stature of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi then what is the big deal about a chief minister being summoned? The probe began with NREGA irregularities and now it has come to Sahebganj just because a tribal chief minister is leading the state. I am not afraid of probe agencies as long as I have the blessing of the masses. Har jung ladenge, har jung jitenge (We will fight all battles and win it),” Hemant earlier said while addressing an event in Sahebganj on Wednesday afternoon where he had gone to review the second phase of the state government’s door-step public delivery campaign Aapki Yojana, Aapki Sarkar, Aapke Dwar.

Hemant’s itinerary announced till November 15 does not mention his appearance before the ED.

According to the itinerary, Hemant will attend the tribal dance festival in Chhattisgarh’s Raipur on November 3 and thereafter attend the review programmes of doorstep delivery campaigns at Palamau, Ramgarh and Jamshedpur between November 4 and 7. He would also attend an international Sarna conference in Bokaro on November 8, review the government campaign in Pakur on November 9 and lay the foundation stone for an irrigation project in Dumka on the same day.

He would attend a cabinet meeting on November 10 followed by a special daylong session of the state Assembly on November 11 in which the government will place the residential policy bill, which would form the basis of reservation in government jobs and education. He would review the implementation of government welfare schemes in Seraikela-Kharsawan on November 12, review the Statehood Day function preparations on November 14 and attend the Statehood Day event on November 15.