CM: BJP using agencies to establish one-party rule
Jharkhand chief minister Champai Soren slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday, accusing it of ‘misusing’ central investigation agencies like the Enforcement Directorate (ED) “to establish one-party rule in the country”.
He also said, “this was why former CM Hemant Soren ended up in jail on false charges”.
The chief minister was addressing the Kolhan divisionlevel launch event of the ‘Abua Awas Yojna’ at Gopal Maidan in Jamshedpur on Friday, distributing approval letters to 292,000 beneficiary families and transferring ₹74.78 crore to 24,827 families as the first instalment of ₹30,000.
“The BJP wants to establish one-party rule in the country and is misusing the central investigation agencies to harass, arrest, and jail the leaders of the opposition parties in states. We have seen it in Maharashtra. And this is why former Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren is now in jail on false allegations. But he will be back
among the people soon,” Champai said.
He dared the BJP to visit the villages under the state government’s ‘Gaon Chalo’ campaign.
“You will see and find Hemant Babu everywhere around through his people-oriented
schemes. Old age pensions, student scholarships, Abua Awas, irrigation, Savitribai Phule Yojna ... you name it. All these are touching people’s lives at the very basic level, and no matter if they taunt me Hemant Part-2, I proudly say - I am part-2 and will continue these schemes,” asserted Champai.
The chief minister said that the BJP got unnerved by Hemant Soren’s inroads into the villages and heart of Adivasi-Moolvasis.
“This forced them to misuse the ED, which is working like a political party. Action against corruption should be transparent, unbiased, and equal for all. Our coalition government stood united, and all conspiracies were defeated,” said Champai.
“The Centre denied money under the PM Awas Yojna, so we have started Abua Awas Yojna under which two million families have been selected. We have increased the electricity bill subsidy to 125 units, benefitting three million consumers. If any complaint of selection of ineligible applicants, corruption, or commission comes to be in these schemes, the BDOs will not be spared. There is no place for brokers in my government,” added the chief minister.
Meanwhile, BJP state spokesperson Pratul Shahdeo said the chief minister’s statement was “politics of convenience”. “They will continue to do corruption and when action is taken they will play the victim card. The ED has seized ₹1.25 lakh crore in cash and properties during the past 10 years, which shows how effectively and competently it is doing its duty. Being a senior minister in the Hemant Soren government, why didn’t Champai-ji warn and advise him against rampant corruption - it was his duty also,” Shahdeo told HT on Friday.
Shahdeo further said that the “entire nation now knows that Hemant Soren is in the dock for massive corruption cases”.
“As for the CM’s advice to BJP on ‘Gaon Chalo,’ may I ask why the state government has set a deadline of 2027 for Abua Awas Yojna, when their government would not be there? After spending four years in rampant corruption, the CM is now talking of implementing their flagship schemes in their manifesto, just a few months ahead of the term of his government ending. They are trying to befool the people with false promises and half-baked truth,” said the BJP spokesperson.