Reiterating his accusation that the BJP tried to destabilise his government, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Wednesday said he was able to outmanoeuvre the alleged attempts since he is a leader of people from backward and tribal communities, the poor and the oppressed class, and not of “punjipati (moneybags)” class.
Asked at a press conference whether he regretted the decision to own a mining lease, which got him embroiled in a controversy, Soren said: “I was into mining even before I became politically active, and (in politics) I have…been an MP, MLA, Deputy CM, Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition. But our friends (BJP) never saw this. No, I don’t regret. Now that they (BJP) know the government is strong and cannot be destabilised, one will see things such as horse-trading, misuse of (Central) government agencies (play out).”
Asked how he was able to repel alleged attempts to topple his government, Soren said: “I am not a businessman, and I don’t represent any punjipati. I represent Adivasis, Dalits, backwards and the poor…. It is challenging for anyone today to work honestly, and we consider this (bid to topple) a part of this… We represent people who are intellectually, financially, politically weak and leaders who come from such a class can only do this (outmanoeuvre). Their leader cannot be a businessman.”
On his relationship with Governor Ramesh Bias, who has not conveyed the Election Commission’s decision — the EC had earlier sent its opinion to Bais on Soren’s possible disqualification over his ownership of a mining lease while being the mines minister— Soren said, “My relationship is not sour with the Governor. He holds a constitutional post…”
The Jharkhand government has faced constant criticism since February this year after it emerged that Soren owns a mining lease. Two PILs were filed in Jharkhand High Court — one on the mining lease, and the other on allegations of money laundering through shell companies — against Soren and others also kept his government on the backfoot.
Soren had on multiple occasions accused the BJP of trying to bring down his government — at one point, he had even sent many MLAs to Congress-governed Chhattisgarh, purportedly to save them from BJP’s alleged poaching attempts. The BJP had denied the allegations.