‘Then summon PM Narendra Modi too’: JMM on ED summon to Hemant Soren in illegal mining scam case

Ranchi: Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) Party has slammed the Centre after the Enforcement Directorate issued a summon Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren calling him for questi0ning in the illegal mining case on November 3. Attacking the Centre, JMM leader Manoj Pandey termed the ED action as “vendetta politics.”

 "PM should also be summoned in several cases," Pandey said. "We`ll approach the Court if there`s injustice. Don`t know if the ED can summon a Chief Minister. If so, the Chief Minister will respond after consulting legal experts," the JMM leader told ANI. 

JMM leader’s remarks came minutes after Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren was summoned by the central agency for investigation over contravention of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 and in a money laundering probe linked to an illegal mining case in the Sahebganj district. 

While reacting to ED`s summon to Hemant Soren, Jharkhand BJP State President Deepak Prakash said, "The law will not spare the one who does wrong. Jharkhand people are apprised of the fact that Hemant Soren has taken an illegal mining lease in the name of his Press Advisors, his key aide MLA Pankaj Mishra, and his wife. There has been a scam of thousand crores. If the ED is summoning the Chief Minister, it is a welcome move."

Asked about the JMM`s party leader`s allegations of the Centre doing `vendetta politics`, Deepak Prakash said that the people, who are accusing are those who did the work of looting the mineral wealth of Jharkhand, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha leaders have resolved to ransack the poor. 

Another BJP leader from West Bengal, Saumitra Khan supported the ED`s move. "One always has to pay for wrong deeds. If the Chief Minister did something wrong then he will pay for it," Saumitra said. 

Notably, Soren has been asked by the agency to appear before its Jharkhand`s Ranchi based regional office by 11.30 am.

The ED`s move came almost a month after it seized a passbook and a chequebook, including two signed cheques, of Soren from the home of his alleged close associate Pankaj Mishra, who enjoyed political clout being the representative of Soren and exercised considerable control over illegal mining businesses as well as inland ferry services in Sahebganj and its adjoining areas through his accomplices.

Mishra is in judicial custody now for exercising control over the mining of stone chips and boulders as well as installation and operations of several crushers set up across various mining sites in Jharkhand`s Sahebganj district.