Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Friday alleged that an officer of the Income Tax Department in Jharkhand went to conduct a raid in a vehicle provided by the BJP.
Soren made the comment as the I-T Department conducted searches at properties linked to Congress MLAs Kumar Jaimangal (Bermo) and Pradip Yadav (Poriyahat) over tax evasion charges. Congress is a part of Soren's JMM-led ruling coalition in Jharkhand.
"In Jharkhand, an officer of the IT department goes to conduct a raid on BJP's vehicle. Those preaching ethics have blackened their faces. Shame on them. Wearing the cloak of constitutional institutions, these people are defying the public mandate. Recognise such feudal forces," Soren tweeted in Hindi.
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BJP legislative party leader Babulal Marandi said his party has nothing to do with the raid. "The raids were being conducted against wrongdoers by the agency, and the BJP has nothing to do with it," the former chief minister said. Hitting out at the BJP over the bridge collapse in Gujarat's Morbi, Soren said the "Gujarat model" was for everyone to see.
"150 people were killed in Morbi, why didn't the minister resign? They teach lessons of morality to others, and send summons to leaders in the opposition," he said, addressing a function in Palamu.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had summoned Soren on Thursday for questioning him in a money laundering case linked to alleged illegal mining. He skipped it and went to Chhattisgarh later that day to attend a "pre-scheduled" function.
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Soren alleged the BJP was using central agencies to humiliate non-BJP ruled states as they could not get political success against those at power in those states. "The Centre is all out to destabilise a democratically-elected government...But, I am not worried," he said.
The BJP cannot digest the mandate people gave to a party dominated by tribals and locals, so it was resorting to "politics of terror" by unleashing central agencies, said Soren, the executive president of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM). "They possess a feudal mentality and cannot see tribals, Dalits and oppressed people growing," he added.
(With PTI inputs)
