New Delhi: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee have criticized the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) following the Enforcement Directorate’s arrest of former Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren.
Stalin accused the ruling party of attempting to intimidate JMM chief Hemant Soren, describing it as a desperate act of political vendetta by the BJP-led central government. In a strong statement on X, Stalin commended Soren’s resilience against the BJP’s tactics, emphasizing that such dirty tactics won’t silence opposition voices.
Outrageous and shameful!
The arrest of Hon’ble Jharkhand Chief Minister Thiru @HemantSorenJMM is a blatant display of political vendetta by Union BJP Govt. Using investigative agencies to harass a tribal leader is a new low. This act reeks of desperation and abuse of power.… pic.twitter.com/X6Mvk0WSXX
— M.K.Stalin (@mkstalin) February 1, 2024
Mamata Banerjee echoed similar sentiments on Thursday, alleging that the BJP is imprisoning opposition leaders to secure victory in the upcoming general elections. “BJP is putting everyone in jail only to win the election,” Banerjee remarked.
Hemant Soren’s arrest by the ED in connection with a money-laundering case occurred shortly after his resignation as the chief minister of Jharkhand. Champai Soren, a minister in his government, is set to become the new chief minister of the JMM-Congress government.
Various opposition leaders, including Trinamool Congress MP Saugata Roy and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders Atishi and Saurabh Bharadwaj, criticized the government for what they perceived as efforts to stifle opposition. Roy labeled the arrest as part of the government’s strategy to suppress the opposition, while AAP leaders highlighted the alleged anti-tribal mindset of the BJP and its tendency to put leaders behind bars who do not comply.
Hemant Soren has been placed on a 24-hour judicial custody, and the Supreme Court is scheduled to hear a plea by his lawyers against his arrest on Friday.
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