RANCHI: Arrested JMM leader and former Chief Minister Hemant Soren took to the floor of the Jharkhand Assembly on Monday to state that he fully supported Champai Soren and his government.
Jharkhand's JMM-led coalition government headed by Chief Minister Champai Soren won the vote of confidence in the assembly, with 47 MLAs voting in favour of the confidence motion and 29 legislators opposing it in the 81-member assembly.
Taking part in the confidence motion moved by his successor, Champai, Hemant Soren alleged that the Raj Bhavan was instrumental in his arrest after a conspiracy was hatched by the Centre.
"A black night and a black chapter was added to the democracy of the country on the night of January 31. I think this is the first time in the country's history that a Chief Minister was arrested inside the Raj Bhavan. I don't remember if this has happened before or not. I feel Raj Bhavan has collaborated in this episode," the JMM executive president said in the Jharkhand Assembly on Monday.
JMM legislature party leader Champai Soren took oath as the chief minister of Jharkhand on February 2, after Hemant Soren was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate last week in a money laundering case.
The ex-chief minister, who is in ED custody now, was allowed by a special PMLA (Prevention of Money Laundering Act) court to participate in the trust vote.
Lashing out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the former Chief Minister said, "I do not understand why the ruling (central) government has so much hatred towards adivasis and dalits...They don't hesitate to say that we should remain in jungles. If we come out of the jungle, their graves will get dirty. They think that we are untouchables."
He said that there is no value for the tears of the Adivalis, Dalits, and other marginalised groups in the country, adding that they would give a befitting answer to the injustices when the appropriate time came.
Except for non-tribal BJP leader Raghubar Das, none of the other 10 previous chief ministers belonging to the saffron party or JMM (formed in 2000) could complete a full five-year term in the state.
Continuing his scathing attack on the Centre, Hemant Soren said that if any evidence of corruption was found against him in the land deal, he would resign and leave Jharkhand. "I challenge the BJP to prove corruption charges against me. If proved, I will resign from politics," said Hemant Soren.
"However, I will not shed tears now. I will give a befitting reply to the feudal forces at an appropriate time," he added.
Jharkhand Chief Minister Champai Soren had earlier moved a confidence motion in the 81-member Assembly on the first day of the two-day special session.
"The BJP tried to destabilise the democratically elected state government," Champai Soren asserted in his speech, while adding that his government is part two of Hemant Soren's administration.
He also accused the BJP of using central agencies to frame Hemant Soren in false cases.
Background
The MLAs have exuded confidence of winning the floor test, while the opposition BJP asserted that the coalition would be defeated.
Section 144 of CrPC has been imposed in the area around the assembly.
State minister Alamgir Alam had on Sunday said, "Our MLAs are united and we have the support of 48 to 50 legislators in the 81-member assembly". A video, released by the coalition last week, had claimed that it has the support of 43 legislators.
The alliance among the JMM, Congress, and the RJD has 47 MLAs, and it is supported from outside by a lone CPIML(L) legislator.
The MLAs of the ruling JMM-led alliance were at a resort in Hyderabad for the past three days before leaving for Ranchi on Sunday evening. They landed at the Birsa Munda Airport here in a chartered flight and were taken to the Circuit House in the city in two buses.
Meanwhile, Biranchi Narayan, Chief Whip of the BJP, had said the coalition was set to lose the confidence vote on Monday. He said the MLAs in Hyderabad were kept under strict surveillance, which indicates that they were not confident of winning.
Attempt to avert poaching of MLAs
About 38 legislators of the ruling alliance had gone to Hyderabad, the capital of Congress-ruled Telangana, in two flights on February 2, amid the coalition's fears that the BJP might attempt to "poach" them in the run-up to the trust vote.
JMM legislature party leader Champai Soren took oath as the chief minister of Jharkhand on February 2, after his predecessor Hemant Soren was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate last week in a money laundering case.
A special PMLA (Prevention of Money Laundering Act) court has allowed him to participate in the trust vote.
Hemant Soren was remanded to ED custody for five days by the court on February 2.
(With inputs from PTI, ANI and Online Desk)
