Jharkhand chief minister Champai Soren, heading a JMM-Congress-RJD coalition government in the state, has claimed that BJP’s strategy of “using” the Enforcement Directorate to arrest former chief minister Hemant Soren will boomerang against them in the ensuing Lok Sabha and Assembly polls.
Addressing a Sankalp Sabha (resolution meeting) near the Old Jharkhand Vidhan Sabha campus in Dhurwa, Ranchi, on Tuesday late evening to express solidarity with arrested former chief minister Hemant, Champai said: “They (read BJP) have used ED to frame our popular leader and put him in jail. I can assure you that this plot will boomerang against them in the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections.”
“Each member of the tribal, Dalit, backward and minority family is deeply hurt at how Hemant Babu was framed in the land scam despite his name not being in any record. All issues have gone silent and there is only a cry for justice for Hemant Babu among the masses,” said Champai.
The statement of the chief minister assumes significance with JMM supporters relentlessly organising “nyay yatra” across all panchayats and even the chief minister using every opportunity during the distribution of assets and inauguration, foundation laying of welfare projects to highlight the “injustice” done to Hemant.
“Jharkhand and its people have not bowed down before anyone and never will. Our yatra will continue till the time Hemant Soren comes out of jail. Today’s Sankalp Sabha was held for the Chotanagpur division. We will hold similar functions across the remaining four commissionaires of the state in the coming weeks,” he said.
“Our party leaders will tell people that when BJP leaders go to seek votes in the Lok Sabha elections and shed crocodile tears on tribal issues, then they should identify these cheaters who tried to tinker with land tenancy
rules during double engine Sarkar (a term used for the BJP government at Centre and state) and are still not according separate religion column for Sarna religion and ensure that all the 14 Lok Sabha seats goes to INDIA bloc,” said Champai.
Significantly, tribals in Jharkhand majority of whom are Sarna followers and nature worshipers have been fighting for a separate religious identity in India for decades and in recent years have staged agitation in different parts of the country.
