BJP Claims Hemant Soren ‘Absconding’ As ED Team Camps to Jharkhand CM's Delhi House

New Delhi: An Enforcement Directorate team visited the Delhi residence of Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Monday to question him in connection with a money laundering investigation in an alleged land fraud case and camped there for over 12 hours.  

The BJP claimed that the chief minister has been “absconding” for the last 18 hours, fearing action of the ED, and urged Governor CP Radhakrishnan to take cognisance of the matter as the "credibility and reputation of Jharkhand are at stake".

“Today the honor and respect of the people of Jharkhand was destroyed by our Chief Minister Hemant Soren ji by going missing,” tweeted BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, along with a poster showing the Jharkhand CM picture, with ‘missing’ caption in Hindi. 

Soren had left Ranchi for Delhi on January 27, with his party saying on Monday that he had gone for personal work and will be back, according to officials. 

Amid claims of Jharkhand CM Soren ‘absconding,' the family members alleged that a "false" narrative was being set to "delegitimise" the JMM leader's position.

The Jharkhand CM accused the Enforcement Directorate (ED) of being motivated by political agenda, while agreeing to record his statement on January 31 in connection with a probe into alleged land scam, said sources. 

The ED had questioned Soren at his official residence in Ranchi on January 20 in the case and had issued a fresh summons to him asking him to confirm his availability for questioning on either January 29 or January 31, claimed sources. 

BJP Levels Critical Charges on Soren

Taking to X, Jharkhand BJP president Babulal Marandi wrote, “According to media sources, late at night Hemant ji, wearing slippers and covering his face with a sheet, ran away from his Delhi residence on foot. Ajay Singh, the security personnel of special branch who went with him to Delhi, is also missing.” 

“The mobile phones of both of them have also been switched off. Since then, the ED and Delhi Police are searching for them. There cannot be any other example of such gross negligence regarding the security of the chief minister,” added Marandi.

"If there is truth in this news, then it is a situation of “constitutional crisis” for Jharkhand, said Marandi seeking governor's action in the matter.