The recent arrest of Hemant Soren, former Chief Minister of Jharkhand and leader of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), by Enforcement Directorate (ED) on January 31, which most are deeming as politically motivated, has resulted in tribal organisations calling a day long bandh in Jharkhand. The Tribal minister, who was questioned for hours by the ED, has been arrested in an alleged money laundering case involving illegal land dealings. He has been taken into custody under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
Reacting to the arrest of Soren, numerous tribal outfits are going to organise protests and a state-wide shutdown. As per a report of IndiaTVNews, Ajay Tirkey, the president of Kendriya Sarna Samiti, had stated that at least 15 to 20 tribal organisations from various parts of Jharkhand will be participating in the said shutdown. Expressing discontent with the union government-controlled agency arresting former CM even after cooperation, Tirkey stated, “Despite cooperating with the ED in the investigation, Hemant Soren was arrested. We strongly oppose this action,” as per IndiaTVNews. Tirkey has assured that the protests will not hamper any emergency services or any schools that remain open today.
Most of the tribal outfits supporting the said state-wide took to social media to announce their participation. Another tribal outfit, namely Samast Adivasi Moolvani Sangathan, posted on ‘X’ (formerly Twitter).
झारखंड बंद है। हूल जोहार।
#HemantSoren pic.twitter.com/neuol3usTc— Tribal Army (@TribalArmy) January 31, 2024
As the arrest took place and the news of the baandh emerged, a large number of police personnel were deployed around the Chief Minister’s residence in Ranchi on January 31 itself, as per a report in Livemint. Section 144 of the CrPC was also imposed within a radius of 100 metres outside the CM house, Governor House, and the ED office to deal with any untoward situation because of protests, rallies and processions by the ruling party workers. Notably, the JMM workers had gathered at Morabadi ground against the ED’s action and raised slogans against the central government on January 31.
Lalu Prasad Yadav, Former Chief Minister of Bihar and National President of Rashtriya Janata Dal, took to X to show his support for the arrested former tribal CM. in his social media post, Yadav wrote “Jharkhand’s popular tribal Chief Minister Hemant Soren is being tortured by the dictatorial government at the Centre. These disgusting tactics of BJP may cause trouble in the short term but cannot defeat the resolve and ambitions of backward, Dalit, tribal, minority and marginalized groups. The fear of BJP is well known and the public has also understood this now. We are strongly with Hemant.”
The post can be viewed here:
झारखंड की लोकप्रिय सरकार के जनप्रिय आदिवासी मुख्यमंत्री हेमंत सोरेन को केंद्र की तानाशाह सरकार प्रताड़ित कर रही है। भाजपा के यह घिनौने हथकंडे अल्प समय के लिए परेशान तो कर सकते हैं पर पिछड़े, दलित, आदिवासी, अल्पसंख्यक और हाशियों पर रहने वाले समूहों के संकल्प और महत्वाकांक्षाओं को…
— Lalu Prasad Yadav (@laluprasadrjd) February 1, 2024
Even in the face of impending arrest, Soren refused to cower:
Prior to being arrested by the ED and signing the arrest memo, Hemant Soren had submitted his resignation from the post of Chief Minister to Raj Bhawan. He was accompanied by the party alliance leaders. As per a report of the Telegraph, the ED team was also present there. Pursuant to his move, party loyalist and state transport minister Champai Soren was named as his successor. Notably, Champai Soren has the support of 47 MLAs.
Furthermore, earlier in the day of January 31, Soren had also lodged an FIR against senior ED personnel at the SC/ST police station here over the searches conducted by the agency at his Delhi residence. In the FIR, Soren has alleged that the ED conducted the search operation at his residence in the national capital to “harass and malign him and his entire community”.
On the night of January 31, Soren had moved an application to the Ranchi High Court challenging his arrest by the ED. As the case was listed for the morning of February 1 before the bench of Acting Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar and Justice Anubha Rawat Choudhary, Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal and A.M. Singhvi mentioned the said case in Supreme Court and withdrew the petition from the state High Court. Changing their strategy, Sibal stated before the Supreme Court bench comprising Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra that they will be withdrawing the petition from the High Court as the actions by the ED will have an adverse effect on the polity of the country.
“We will be withdrawing the petition in the high court… the manner of arrest just before the general elections has an adverse impact on polity of the country,” Sibal stated as per Bar&Bench.
The said move did not sit well with Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, representing ED, as they opposed the plea on the basis that the hearing was scheduled to take place in the High Court. Responding to this, Sibal called this a “serious matter” while pointing to the timing and other procedural aspects related to arrest of Soren. He asked the court as to how a chief minister of a state be arrested like this.
As the ASG and SG countered this argument by dismissing the said arrest to be just one of the thousands of people arrested by ED, the Supreme Court bench agreed to list the case for February 2. The CJI also remarked that the counsels of both the sides should keep their ammunition ready.
Related:
Massive protest in Delhi by Bharat Mukti Morcha with one demand- REMOVE EVMs, SAVE DEMOCRACY
Protest in Delhi: Indian state unleashing ‘undeclared, undocumented’ war on Adivasis
Delhi HC: ED does not have the power to arrest on their “whims and fancies”