BJP claims Soren absconding due to ED’s fear; JMM dubs agency’s action unconstitutional

Urging Governor C P Radhakrishnan to take cognisance of the matter, the party said the credibility and reputation of Jharkhand are at stake.

Ranchi: The Jharkhand unit of the BJP on Monday claimed that Chief Minister Hemant Soren has been “absconding” since the last 18 hours, fearing action of the Enforcement Directorate.

Urging Governor C P Radhakrishnan to take cognisance of the matter, Marandi said the credibility and reputation of Jharkhand are at stake.

“According to media sources, late at night Hemant ji, wearing slippers and covering his face with a sheet, ran away from his Delhi residence on foot. Ajay Singh, the security personnel of special branch who went with him to Delhi, is also missing,” Jharkhand BJP president Babulal Marandi said in a post on X.

“The mobile phones of both of them have also been switched off. Since then, the ED and Delhi Police are searching for them. There cannot be any other example of such gross negligence regarding the security of the chief minister,” the former CM said.

If there is truth in this news, then it is a situation of “constitutional crisis” for Jharkhand, Marandi said. “The governor is requested to take cognisance of the matter...,” he added.

An Enforcement Directorate team on Monday visited the Delhi residence of Soren to question him in connection with a money laundering investigation in an alleged land fraud case.

The federal agency had questioned Soren at his official residence in Ranchi on January 20 in the case, and issued fresh summons to him asking him to confirm his availability for questioning on either January 29 or January 31.

Official sources claimed he was "missing" and could not be contacted by the agency.

The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader, who had left for Delhi from Ranchi on January 27 night, has sent an email to the agency in which he has agreed to a fresh round of questioning by the ED investigators on January 31 at his Ranchi residence around 1 pm, they said.

Meanwhile, the JMM said the ED’s action against Soren is “unconstitutional”.

“The CM went to Delhi for some personal work and he will be back. But, the ED action is uncalled for and unconstitutional. It seems that the move is politically motivated,” alleged JMM general secretary and spokesperson Supriyo Bhattacharya.

“Soren has nothing to do with the case,” he claimed.

While the chief minister's office was tightlipped on the development, Jharkhand Governor C P Radhakrishnan said he was keeping a watch on the situation in the state in the wake of the ED summons to Soren.

Jharkhand Congress president Rajesh Thakur alleged that confusion was being created surrounding Sorens’s location under a “well-designed conspiracy”.

“Attempts are being made to create a perception that President’s rule will be imposed in the state. People are spreading rumours that the CM is missing,” Thakur said.

The Congress is a part of the JMM-led ruling alliance in Jharkhand.

“Is the ED really not able to trace the CM? This is nothing but a conspiracy to disturb the state government so that it could be prevented from carrying out welfare work,” he asserted.