‘Federalism ripped apart’: Kharge on Hemant Soren's resignation as Jharkhand CM amid ED probe

Hemant Soren resigned as chief minister after being grilled by the ED in a land scam case.

Published on: Jan 31, 2024, 21:52:51 IST

By HT News Desk

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Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday hit out at the Bharatiya Janata Party, accusing it of misusing Enforcement Directorate against Hemant
Soren and forcing him to resign.

“If anyone is not with Modi ji, he will go to jail. Getting ED to go after Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren and forcing him to resign amounts to destruction of federalism,” Kharge posted on social platform X.

“Intimidating opposition leaders through draconian use of PMLA provisions is a part of BJP's toolkit. The BJP continues to destabilise governments ruled by opposition through conspiracy. Those washed by BJP's washing machine are clean, are others tainted?” the Congress chief posted.

“If you want to save democracy from dictatorship, then BJP must be defeated. We will not be scared and continue to fight from parliament to streets,” Kharge added.

High drama ensued in Jharkhand's capital Ranchi as Hemant Soren resigned as chief minister after being grilled by the ED in a land scam case. His ministerial colleague Champai Soren has been chosen as legislative party leader and will be the next chief minister.

A file photo of Mallikarjun Kharge with Hemant Soren.

"We have staked a claim to form the new government with the support of 47 MLAs," JMM legislative party leader Champai Soren told reporters.

Soren has been a legislator from Saraikela assembly constituency for more than three decades since 1991 and is known to be a loyalist of JMM supremo Shibu Soren.

Jharkhand Mukti Morcha's Rajya Sabha MP has claimed that Soren has been taken into custody by the central agency, who had been questioning the former CM since afternoon.

Soren had lodged an FIR against senior Enforcement Directorate personnel at the SC/ST police station here over searches conducted by the agency at his Delhi residence, officials said on Wednesday.

Soren alleged that the ED conducted the search operation at his residence in the national capital to "harass and malign him and his entire community", the officials said.

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HT News Desk
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