‘Criminal’ asking for punishment, those in authority silent: Soren
Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Saturday asserted that his is a unique case where “a criminal or an accused” is pleading for punishment, while the constitutional authorities that should have pronounced judgment are silent. “The prevalent situation is no less than punishment to me. I have been saying that if I committed a crime, how I am allowed to hold a constitutional post,” Soren said while talking to reporters in a freewheeling conversation at his residence on Saturday.
Soren was referring to the threats of his disqualification as an MLA on the basis of the purported Election Commission advisory to Jharkhand Governor Ramesh Bais on August 25 in an office-of-profit case involving a stone-mining lease. However, the Governor hasn’t made the advisory public.
The CM said: “Have you ever heard of an example in the country in which a criminal or an accused is pleading for punishment or to know about its quantum? I have been appealing to His Excellency (the Governor) to announce the verdict.”
“Mein chhati peet peet kar bol raha hoon mujhe saja do, mujhe saja do (I am pounding my chest, asking for punishment),” he said.
“Our representatives met him (Governor), I met the Governor. We even applied through RTI to know the details,” Soren whose JMM-led coalition government will be completing three years in December said.
He also attacked the BJP-led Centre, alleging that it has been misusing agencies, such as ED besides constitutional authorities to create disturbance in states ruled by non-BJP parties.
To the CBI’s inquiry report submitted to the Lokpal in which the agency has alleged that he and his family didn’t disclose all properties in the affidavit to the EC, Soren said: “There is a mentality among people…always trying that Adivasis, Dalits, and people from Backward Classes never progress in life. They entangle us and we remain entangled. The same has been done against our Guruji (Shibu Soren) and not against me… most Adivasis are not capable of fighting back but that doesn’t mean there is none who can fight.”
