Hemant Soren being treated like a criminal, it is open hooliganism: JMM

NEW DELHI: The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha on Tuesday said Hemant Soren was being treated like a criminal and questioned on whose instructions the Enforcement Directorate searched the Jharkhand chief minister's official residence in Delhi on Monday in his absence. The JMM alleged that central agencies were being used for "open hooliganism" and claimed that Hemant Soren would not be intimidated like Himanta Biswa Sarma, Ajit Pawar and Nitish Kumar.
"When the chief minister had informed ED that he will be available for questioning on January 31, on whose instructions did the probe agency visit his official residence in the national capital before that time," JMM general secretary Supriyo Bhattacharya said.
The JMM leader also questioned ED's claim of recovering Rs 36 lakh from Soren's Delhi residence and questioned if the cash was not planted by the ED team or Babulal Marandi, who is the Jharkhand BJP chief.
Alleging that Jharkhand chief minister was being treated like a criminal, the JMM general secretary said Hemant Soren will not be intimidated or pressured.
"He is being treated like a criminal. It is open hooliganism by those who have been defeated politically. I want to say in clear words Hemant Soren is neither Himanta Biswa Sarma, nor Ajit Pawar nor Nitish Kumar. He is the son of brave Shibu Soren," Supriyo Bhattacharya said in a swipe suggesting the Jharkhand chief minister won't be intimidated like some other opposition leaders who have joined hands with the BJP.
An ED team had visited Hemant Soren's Delhi residence on Monday to question the Jharkhand chief minister in connection with money laundering probe connected to an alleged land scam. The probe agency stayed there for 13 hours and seized a BMW SUV and recovered some "incriminating" documents and Rs 36 lakh cash from Soren's residence.
Hemant Soren, who was untraceable on Monday, has informed the ED that he will be available for questioning tomorrow at his official residence in Ranchi. The JMM cadres fear that the chief minister could be arrested by the probe agency. There are speculations that Hemant Soren's wife could be chosen to lead the coalition government in the eventuality of his arrest.