Former Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren, who is in Enforcement Directorate custody, alleged governor C.P. Radhakrishnan’s involvement in his arrest while speaking in the Assembly on Monday before helping his successor and fellow JMM leader Champai Soren win a trust vote.

Hemant — who resigned as chief minister on Wednesday night shortly before being arrested on money-laundering charges in connection with a land deal — challenged the BJP-led Centre to prove the allegations. He said he would leave Jharkhand if the charges were proved.

"A black night and a black chapter were added to the democracy of the country on the night of January 31. I think this is the first time in the country's history that a chief minister was arrested inside the Raj Bhavan," Hemant said, in Hindi, during the discussions preceding the trust vote.

"I don't remember if this has happened before. I feel the Raj Bhavan was also involved in this episode."

Hemant had been granted permission by a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act court in Ranchi to participate in Monday’s trust vote, which Champai won 47-29.

The former chief minister had at his public meetings before his arrest accused the Centre of trying to topple his government ever since it was formed in December 2019.

On Monday, he said: "They had been planning this January 31 episode for a long time, since 2022. They were cooking this on a low flame. This dish was not ready... but they served the half-cooked dish and arrested me."

Hemant accused the BJP-led central government of despising Adivasis and Dalits. "The system they created doesn't hesitate to say that they (Adivasis) come from the jungle and should remain there," he said.

“Where does so much malice come from? This is beyond my understanding…. We came out of the forest and sat next to them. They want us to remain in the jungle as their clothes started getting stained when we sat next to them,” Hemant added.

“If our opponents have their way, we will have to go back to the forest and live the life lived by our ancestors.”

Hemant, the JMM’s executive president, said he would not accept defeat.

“They think that by putting me behind bars, they will succeed in their plans. But this is Jharkhand. This is a state where, in every corner, an Adivasi, Dalit and backward class (person) gave up their lives to save those of other Adivasis and Dalits,” he said.

“I have not accepted defeat and will give a fitting reply to such feudal forces at the right time.”

He went on: “Today, I have been arrested on the charge of usurping an 8.5-acre plot. If they (the BJP) have the courage, let them furnish documents showing the land registered in my name. If it’s proved, I shall quit politics and leave Jharkhand.”

Champai, minutes after winning the trust vote, said: “I am proud to say that my government would be Part II of Hemant Soren’s and take forward the social development for the downtrodden, tribal people, Dalits and the poor undertaken by Hemant Babu.”

This seemed a response to the allegation by several BJP leaders that Champai’s government would be similar to Hemant’s in terms of corruption.

“Our (ruling coalition’s) unity foiled their (BJP’s) conspiracy,” Champai said.

Four MLAs were absent from the 81-member Assembly during the trust vote, while a fifth — Sarfaraz Ahmed of the JMM — had resigned recently.

The four absentees were the BJP’s Inderjit Mahato, who is undergoing treatment in Hyderabad, JMM member Ramdas Soren, who is being treated in Delhi, and Independents Amit Yadav and Saryu Roy.

Champai and Hemant went into a huddle at a corner after the day’s session, an indication that the new chief minister would be seeking his predecessor’s advice.

A senior JMM leader said the discussions were related to the upcoming cabinet expansion, likely to take place soon after the Assembly’s two-day special session ends on Tuesday.

“Hemant Soren has given the list of JMM, Congress and RJD leaders who will be inducted into the cabinet, along with the portfolios to be allocated to them. There may be two deputy chief ministers. The cabinet expansion will probably take place on February 7,” the leader said.

Alamgir Alam (Congress) and Satyanand Bhokta (RJD) were sworn in as ministers alongside Champai on February 2.

HC hearing

Jharkhand High Court on Monday heard Hemant’s petition, which seeks quashing of his arrest and the charges against him, and sought a reply from the ED by February 9. The next hearing is on February 12.