Former Jharkhand Chief Minister and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader Hemant Soren, on February 5, alleged that the Raj Bhavan was complicit in his arrest following a “conspiracy” orchestrated by the Centre. Speaking in the Jharkhand assembly ahead of the floor test, Soren expressed his concerns, stating, “Raj Bhavan was instrumental in my arrest after a conspiracy hatched by the Centre.”
Soren went on to describe the events of January 31 as a “black night” and a “black chapter” added to the country’s democracy. He claimed that it was the first time in the country’s history that a chief minister was arrested inside the Raj Bhavan. “I think Raj Bhavan has collaborated in this episode,” added Soren.
The former Chief Minister, who was in the custody of the Enforcement Directorate (ED), was allowed by a special PMLA (Prevention of Money Laundering Act) court to participate in the trust vote. Speaking about his arrest, Soren alleged a planned conspiracy dating back to 2022. “They have been planning this January 31 episode for a long time, since 2022. They were cooking this up in low flame for a long time. But this dish was not ready to be cooked. However, they served the half-cooked dish for themselves, and they arrested me,” claimed Soren.
Expressing surprise at the way the episode was planned, Soren emphasized his Adivasi background and lack of familiarity with certain rules and procedures. However, he asserted, “The ability to distinguish between right and wrong is there in every human and every animal.”
During his address in the Assembly, Hemant Soren challenged the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to substantiate corruption charges against him. He boldly stated, “I challenge the BJP to prove corruption charges against me. If proved, I will resign from politics.” Soren’s arrest came in the backdrop of a money laundering case, leading to the JMM legislature party leader, Champai Soren, taking oath as the Chief Minister on February 2.
In response to the ongoing developments, the current Chief Minister, Champai Soren, accused the Central government of misusing agencies. He highlighted that Hemant Soren received a mandate in 2019 and questioned the arrest of a sitting Chief Minister in a land scam case. Champai Soren remarked that there is a historical pattern of suppressing tribal leadership whenever efforts are made to empower the tribal community in Jharkhand. The political dynamics in Jharkhand continue to unfold as the state navigates the aftermath of Hemant Soren’s arrest and the subsequent floor test.