A day after he was questioned for nearly 10 hours by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) in a money laundering case related to alleged illegal mining, Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren on Friday asked his supporters to stay united and be ready to hit the street like “sheeps and ants” when required.
Soren, however, maintained he was willing to cooperate with the central agencies if they probe impartially but warned he otherwise has the “strength to reply to them accordingly”.
The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader was addressing party workers assembled outside his official residence in state capital Ranchi in support on Friday.
Soren said that during his questioning on Thursday, he asked the ED officials if the alleged case is related only to his tenure.
“I went to the ED office yesterday and they questioned me for hours. I asked them whether their probe is limited only to the past two years. They said no. Then I asked them why they don’t say it is for the past 10 years. I told them they should be transparent in their probe,” said Soren.
“I told them I would fully cooperate if they are impartial. Otherwise, I have all the strength to reply accordingly. Such action is happening only in states not ruled by BJP, be it Telangana, Kerala, Bengal, Bihar or Chhattisgarh. The agencies should answer that as well,” he said.
Urging all adivasis (tribals) and moolvasis (original inhabitants) to close ranks, the chief minister urged his supporters to expose the “BJP conspiracy” at the village level and ensure only moolvasis are elected in the next parliamentary and state assembly elections.
“Keep your eyes and ears open and be ready to come out like sheep and ant against the conspirators when required,” Soren told supporters who had assembled in the state capital Ranchi since November 16.
