BJP delegation meets Guv, seeks Soren's dismissal over corruption allegations

On Thursday, Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren, who is also the working president of JMM, was accused of misusing his office to get in-principle approval for stone quarrying lease in his name on government land.

A delegation of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Jharkhand, led by former chief ministers Babulal Marandi and Raghubar Das, met Governor Ramesh Bais on Friday and demanded the dismissal of chief minister Hemant Soren and a criminal case against him for corruption.

Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren takes a look at a VT-EDJ glider at an airport in Dumka. (PTI Photo)

On Thursday, Das had accused Soren, who is also the working president of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), of misusing his office to get in-principle approval for stone quarrying lease in his name on government land on the outskirts of Ranchi, which was cleared by the mines department headed by himself.

“He has misused his office by getting stone mining lease for five years on a government land in his name. Being the serving CM and also minister of the mines department, he has committed a criminal offence being a public government. The BJP delegation has urged the Governor to use his discretionary powers and dismiss him from office and also file criminal case for corruption,” BJP legislature party leader and former CM Marandi told reporters outside Raj Bhawan after the meeting.

While the Governor office shared picture of the BJP delegation meeting the former, Marandi said Bais assured the delegation of taking legal opinion over the development and take further action accordingly.

The JMM tried to sidestep the allegations. On Thursday, while coming out of the cabinet meeting, Soren shot down a reporter’s question on the issue, saying the former CM (Das) had no work, and is therefore making such allegations.

Senior party leader Supriyo Bhattacharya said on Friday that legal opinion was being sought over the issue.