Have no regrets about my mining lease, says Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren
Hitting out at the BJP and alleging misuse of central agencies, Soren said people shouldn’t be surprised if gets arrested.
Describing the state opposition as “leaderless and issueless”, Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren said on Wednesday that he has no regrets over getting his stone mining lease renewed and the issue was a mere political tool of the BJP to corner him after being unable to do so on substantive issues.
Interacting with reporters at his residence on completion of three years in office, Soren said, “I had this lease in my name since I had not even entered politics. Later I became a Rajya Sabha member, then an MLA, deputy CM, CM and leader of opposition. It did not bother the opposition till then.”
“I don’t regret it (getting it renewed) as they are attacking me now because they know this government is very strong, especially because the opposition itself is very weak. They can’t challenge me politically, so they are trying this and misusing central agencies,” he added.
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The BJP in February this year approached the state governor seeking disqualification of Soren from the assembly, alleging that he violated the Representation of People’s Act by holding an office-of-profit by granting himself a stone mining lease. Governor Ramesh Bais referred the matter to the Election Commission of India for its opinion. The election body, after conducting a hearing, sent its opinion on August 25 to the Jharkhand Raj Bhawan, which is yet to come up with its final order.
BJP legislature party leader Babulal Marandi rejected the CM’s statement. “Only people who commit a crime by mistake have regrets. However, Hemant Soren is a habitual offender and it’s obvious he would have no regrets. Why only mining lease? All that has happened in past three years in his government is loot of public money,” said Marandi.
Reacting to a specific question over his equation with the incumbent governor, Soren, who heads the ruling JMM-Congress-RJD combine, said it seemed that the governor was involved in a “double game”.
“I didn’t have any bitterness (against the governor) as such. He holds a constitutional post and hence it won’t be right to comment against him. However, he’s creating incidents to play up as if he is involved in some double game. The governor recently said that he has now started understanding the politics of the state. I did not know if his role is do politics or discharge the duties of his constitutional post,” said Soren.
Hitting out at the BJP and alleging misuse of central agencies, Soren said people shouldn’t be surprised if gets arrested.
“There should be no surprises. Who is Hemant Soren when Shibu Soren was not spared? He was arrested when he was a coal minister. People like us are targeted because we are the voice of the Dalits, the poor and the weakest sections of the society. But this won’t continue for very long,” said Soren, while replying to a question about his future plans if he got arrested by a central agency.
The JMM leader shot down suggestions that his government took several quick decisions with an eye on the possibility of early elections.
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“Unlike the BJP, we are not always in election mode. In fact some of these decisions should have been taken 20 years back. Why should OBCs wait for (increased) reservation in the last year of the tenure (of the government)? They should in fact have got this 20 years back,” said Soren.
Underling that a lot needed to be done in the remaining two years of his tenure, Soren said 2023 was going to be a year of implementation of the programmes and schemes launched by his goverment. “Sowing seeds does not guarantee a good harvest. It needs maintenance, watering and manure. Next year our focus will be on realising the targets fixed under different schemes,” he added.
