Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren continued to attack the BJP-led Centre, even as the Enforcement Directorate (ED) issued its sixth summons this year to the JMM leader.
On Sunday, the ED issued its sixth summons to Soren for questioning in an alleged money laundering case linked to a land scam in Ranchi. He has been asked to depose at the ED regional office in Ranchi on Tuesday morning.
Soren has not deposed to any of the ED summons issued this year and had filed a petition before the Supreme Court and later Jharkhand High Court, seeking protection from the ED action and terming the summons as “unwarranted”. Both the courts had dismissed his petition.
Sources in the chief minister’s secretariat informed that Soren would be leaving for Dumka on Tuesday morning to attend a scheduled programme as part of the third phase of Aapki Yojana, Aapki Sarkar, Apke Dwar.
Sources revealed that legal options were being weighed by the chief minister’s team against the ED summons.
Addressing a rally at Chas in Bokaro district on Monday as part of the third phase of Aapki Yojana, Aapki Sarkar, Apke Dwar (linking beneficiaries with welfare schemes and addressing grievances at their doorsteps) programme, Soren alleged that the BJP-led Centre had adopted a new culture of neither working nor letting other parties work in the state.
“They have adopted a new style: Na kaam karunga, na kaam karne dunga. They ruled the state for the maximum period since its creation but failed on all fronts. Now when we made laws to provide jobs to local youths, the Opposition put a stumbling block by taking the issue before court. We brought a law to ensure those having land deeds of 1932 get government jobs. But they caused legal problems by inciting several people. However, we will continue to provide jobs for local youths come what may,” said Soren.
In January, this year, the then governor Ramesh Bais had returned the 1932 Khatian (land survey)-based Local Policy Bill 2022 passed by Jharkhand Assembly, asking the government to review its legality so that it is in accordance with the Constitution and as per orders passed by the Supreme Court. Again in April, this year, the newly appointed governor C.P. Radhakrishnan returned the OBC reservation bill, seeking an increase in the reservation in government jobs and educational institutions by up to 77 per cent.
