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Hemant Soren accuses Jharkhand governor CP Radhakrishnan of being involved in his arrest
Hemant Soren was arrested by the ED in connection with a money laundering probe last week.
Ranchi: Former Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren on Monday accused governor CP Radhakrishnan of being involved in his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate last week.
"On the night of January 31, for the first time in the country, a CM was arrested...and I believe that Raj Bhavan was also involved in this incident," he said in the Jharkhand Assembly, ahead of the floor test.
Soren was arrested in connection with a money-laundering probe. He resigned as the chief minister of Jharkhand before his arrest.
Champai Soren, a minister in Soren's government, was elected as the leader of the legislative party on Wednesday last week, He took oath as the chief minister of the state on Friday.
Hemant Soren secured a special permission from the court to attend the floor test of the Champai Soren government.
Also read: ‘I am Hemant Soren Part 2’, declares CM Champai Soren during J'khand floor test
Addressing the assembly amid slogans in his support, Hemant Soren said his party hasn't accepted defeat.
"We have not yet accepted defeat. If they think they can succeed by putting me behind bars, this is Jharkhand where many people have laid down their lives," he added.
Hemant Soren says BJP doesn't want a tribal CM
Hemant Soren said the BJP doesn't want a tribal chief minister to complete five years in office in Jharkhand. He said he would quit politics if the ED accusations against him are proven in court.
"Today I have been arrested on charges of 8.5 acre land scam. If they have the courage, then show the documents of the land registered in my name. If it is proven, I will quit politics," he said.
Chief minister Champai Soren said the BJP tried to destablise a democratically elected Jharkhand government.
"Today the whole country is seeing how injustice is being done to Hemant Soren. If you go to any village, you will find Hemant Soren's schemes in every house," he said during the debate.
Hemant Soren's JMM had claimed that the governor was deliberately delaying Champai Soren's swearing-in ceremony to accord the BJP time for horse trading.
Soon after Soren formed a government, the JMM sequestered its MLAs into a resort in Congress-ruled Telangana. The MLAs returned to Ranchi on Sunday evening to vote in the floor test.
