The opposition leaders have criticised the arrest of Soren by the Enforcement Directorate and the delay in the formation of the new government.
Hemant Soren. (Sourced)
The Supreme Court, on Friday, 2 February, refused to interfere with a plea of former Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren challenging his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case.
A Bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna, MM Sundresh, and Bela M Trivedi asked senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Abhishek Singhvi, appearing for Soren, to approach the high court for relief.
JMM leader Hemant Soren, who had to step down as Jharkhand chief minister in the face of his imminent arrest, in his plea before the top court had accused the ED of arresting him as part of a “well-orchestrated conspiracy” by the Union government ahead of the Lok Sabha elections due months from now.
In his plea before the apex court, Soren has urged it to declare his arrest as unwarranted, arbitrary, and in violation of his fundamental rights.
Soren was arrested on 31 January in a money laundering case linked to “illegal” possession of huge parcels of land and alleged association with the “land mafia”.
He was sent to one-day judicial custody on Thursday, 1 February by a special PMLA court in Ranchi.
Meanwhile, the Opposition INDIA bloc on Friday decided to raise the issue of the arrest of JMM leader Hemant Soren in both houses of Parliament.
Sources said the decision was taken at a meeting of INDIA bloc leaders, who met this morning in the chamber of Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge in Parliament House.
This is the first time that opposition leaders have met to discuss their strategy in the Budget Session of Parliament that began on 31 January.
The opposition leaders have criticised the arrest of Soren by the Enforcement Directorate and the delay in the formation of the new government in the state.
Top Opposition leaders, including Sonia Gandhi, Sharad Pawar and TR Baalu, had earlier met at the residence of Kharge on the day Soren was arrested by the ED.
They are alleging that Soren was forced to quit as chief minister and the new government formation was delayed.
Jharkhand Governor CP Radhakrishnan has nominated Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) legislative party leader Champai Soren as chief minister and invited him to take oath.
The Governor’s Principal Secretary Nitin Madan Kulkarni told PTI on Thursday, 1 February : “We have invited him to take oath. Now they will decide when to take it.”
Earlier on Thursday, amid concerns over the delay in the appointment of JMM legislative party leader Champai Soren as the next chief minister by the Governor, the majority alliance also took steps to shift its MLAs from Jharkhand in two chartered planes, in a bid to ring-fence them against a possible poaching attempt by the BJP.
The alliance had planned to take its MLAs to Hyderabad from Ranchi in two chartered planes — one 12-seater and another of 37 seats.
Hyderabad is the capital of Telangana which is governed by the Congress, a constituent of the coalition.
The MLAs boarded the flights, but the crew did not take off because of poor visibility.
Anticipating the arrival of MLAs from Jharkhand, the ruling Congress in Telangana made arrangements at Leonia Hotel and Ramoji Film City in Hyderabad for their stay.
“We have made all arrangements for the legislators. We are ready at our end. As soon as they land in Hyderabad, they would be properly accommodated for as long as required,” Telangana Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar told South First.
The plane is expected to land in Hyderabad on Friday, 2 February around 4 PM.
#JharkhandPolitics : Plane carrying @INCJharkhand MLA’s set to touch down in #Hyderabad by 4 pm, with a stay planned at the Ellaa hotel in Gachibowli. pic.twitter.com/lza8cFE8LT
— South First (@TheSouthfirst) February 2, 2024
(With PTI inputs)
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