The former Union minister spoke to The Indian Express. Excerpts

• Where were you since the warrant was issued against you?

Soren: I was in the jungle.

• What were you doing there?

Soren: I was meeting people.

• What did you tell them?

Soren: The BJP had dug up an old case to finish me. It was a conspiracy to send me to jail and malign the UPA coalition.

• But in the Chirrudih case, you are an accused. Unlike other 59 of the 69 accused in this case, you never turned up before the court?

Soren: Chirrudih? I am accused in several cases of agitation against moneylenders. These agitation were part of the Jharkhand movement. After the state was created, the BJP government withdrew 311 cases. Even the famous Gua case in which 11 persons, including four policemen, were killed was withdrawn. But the Chirrudih case was not withdrawn. Because they wanted to fix me before the Assembly elections. In the Assembly polls, we will wipe out the BJP.

• So what do you plan on doing now?

Soren: I have always had faith in the judiciary. I will surrender before the court.

• When? On August 2?

Soren: We are going to discuss this tonight.

• Your party plans to launch a jail bharo abhiyan to protest against your case.

Soren: I have told my partymen to do whatever they feel like, but do it peacefully. Otherwise, by now heads would have rolled and the BJP would have succeeded in its well thought out plan to repeat Gujarat in Jharkhand.

• How?

Soren: By creating a wedge between Muslims and Adivasis who are my support base.

—MANOJ PRASAD