BJP calls him J'khand CM Hemant Soren 'Bhagoda' for not facing the ED

Hemant Soren/File Pic PTI

The Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) in Jharkhand has taken a jibe at CM Hemant Soren calling him a 'Bhagoda' for running away from the investigation agency questioning. On Tuesday, BJP MP from Jharkhand, Nishikant Dubey said that he was "bowing his head in shame" as the Chief Minister of his state was a "baghoda" (on the run), news agency ANI reported.

"Whenever he got ED summons, Soren used to claim that he was not afraid of anyone, he was the son of Veer Shibu, a big man, the son of an adiasi, a fighter and one who wont be intimidated by anyone. Today when he is being summoned for questioning that means he must have committed some mistake", the BJP leader said.

As per ANI report, the BJP MP also alleged that Soren was 'disappearing for last 48 hours, BMW that is before use is perhaps registered under the name of Vinod Singh, who was raided by the IT. Will the CM commute in a private vehicle? As a voter, MP and citizen of Jharkhand, I am hanging my head in shame."

"Yesterday Lalu Yadav ji showed the courage and was questioned by the ED for 10 hours. A 75 year old man faced the ED. Even the PM when he was Gujarat CM had faced questioning whenever the agencies wanted. Soren is running away from the agency," he said.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has seized Rs 36 lakh in cash and two cars after it conducted searches at the residence of Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Tuesday, sources in the central agency told ANI.

Officials of the ED on Monday searched Soren's residence in South Delhi in connection with a money laundering case linked to an alleged land scam case.

Meanwhile, amid the communication gap between the Enforcement Directorate and Jharkhand Chief Minister, Jharkhand Governor CP Radhakrishnan on Tuesday said that he has no information about the CM and the attitude of the ruling party workers is not good.

Notably, the state administration has imposed Section 144 in a 100-metre radius of CM's residence, Raj bhavan and ED's office in Jharkhand.

Governor CP Radhakrishnan has also summoned Chief Secretary L Khiangte, Director General of Police Ajay Kumar and Home Secretary Avinash Kumar to take stock of the law and order situation in the state.

On the other hand, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, in a letter to the Enforcement Directorate, said he will record his statement before the agency officials at 1 pm on Wednesday at his residence.

While accepting to record his statement, the Jharkhand chief minister alleged that questioning him at this time was more political and was meant to disrupt the functioning of his government.

The ED had issued a fresh summons to Soren, asking him to be available for questioning on January 29 or 31, or else the agency itself will go to him for questioning. This is the tenth summons issued to the Jharkhand Chief Minister by the ED in the same case.

(With ANI inputs)