Constant raids by Central investigating agencies in Jharkhand in one case or another have prompted the government led by Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) to dub it as an act intended to terrorise and intimidate it.
“Raids by Central government agencies in Jharkhand on one pretext or another are intended to terrorise the democratically elected government in the State. Raids have been conducted even in cases in which the CBI had submitted closure reports”, senior JMM leader and party spokesperson Supriyo Bhattacharya told The Hindu over phone on Thursday. This was after the CBI raided several premises belonging to former Sports Minister and State Congress leader Bandhu Tirkey in connection with the 34 th National Games scam.
“If these are not intended to intimidate the government by the Central agencies, then what is it? You tell me,” said Mr. Bhattacharya.
Mr. Tirkey had joined the Congress after the 2019 Assembly polls following a split in the Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik) when party chief Babulal Marandi decided to merge it with the BJP. Recently, Mr. Tirkey was disqualified as a member of the Legislative Assembly after being convicted in a disproportionate assets (DA) case.
Mr. Soren, who was recently asked to explain to the Election Commission why he should not be disqualified for holding an “office of profit” by taking a mining lease, had drawn parallels between Russian invasion of Ukraine and the Centre’s use of agencies to destabilise a “democratically elected government”. However, he had asserted that he would not succumb under pressure. “Rather I will give a befitting reply to the BJP-led government at the Centre, just like Ukraine has been responding to Russia’s offensive”, he said.
The Jharkhand State Congress in charge Avinash Pande too alleged that the BJP was trying to destabilise the government through intimidation. “MLAs are being intimidated and Central agencies are being used to create confusion in the government”, Mr. Pande said.
However, a senior BJP leader in Jharkhand, requesting anonymity, told The Hindu over phone on Thursday, that “these raids by the Central investigative agencies only show how corruption is deeply rooted in Jharkhand. Our party had earlier warned the State government about the level of corruption in the government. You yourself must have seen how bundles of currency notes running into crores of rupees are being confiscated from houses of officials in the State... Every day we come to know about new corruption in the State. Aage aage dekhiye hota hai kya (let’s see what happens next)”, he added.
Speaking to The Hindu, noted social activist Dayamani Barla said that the raids appeared to weaken the alliance partners in the government. “We also want that corruption must be exposed, but it should not smack of being fabricated and targeted”, she said.
