RANCHI: Amid Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) warning that there is huge resentment among people against over the summons issued by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) against Chief Minister Hemant Soren which may turn an ugly shape, the central investigation agency has written a letter to Chief Secretary and Director General of Police seeking protection for its officials.
According to ED sources, the letter has been written to deal with the problems related to to law and order while questioning CM Hemant Soren in land scam case on Saturday.
Notably, after being summoned for the eighth time in land scam case, CM Soren has agreed to join the probe being conducted by ED, following which he is expected to be questioned at his residence in Ranchi on Saturday afternoon.
The letter has also been forwarded to Ranchi Senior Superintendent of Police. In response to it, Ranchi Police is said to have ensured the ED that concrete arrangements will be made outside the Chief Minister's residence and Ranchi office of Enforcement Directorate as well. In addition to that, the police have also made arrangements to escort the ED team while they go to Chief Minister’s residence for questioning to avoid any untoward situation.
Earlier on Wednesday, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) claimed that there is huge resentment among people against ED’s politically motivated action against its leaders and State government officials. It also said that the Central agency should work with full transparency and based on facts rather than being a puppet in the hands of a political party.
The JMM General Secretary and Spokesperson Supriyo Bhattacharya also claimed that they fear that the anger among the people against ED doesn’t take an ugly shape. It is therefore crucial that ED remains transparent, fact based and reliable, he said.
Meanwhile, a day ahead of Chief Minister Hemant Soren supposed to be questioned by ED at his official residence in Ranchi, more than a dozen tribal organizations from all over the state are planning a stage protest at the Raj Bhawan in Ranchi on Friday.
According to Kendriya Sarna Samiti, leading the protest, tribals from at least eight districts will assemble before the Raj Bhawan on Friday to register their protest against the conspiracy being hatched by BJP led central government to de-stabilize a tribal chief minister.
“A conspiracy is being hatched to destabilize the tribal Chief Minister in Jharkhand by sending him summons one after another by the Enforcement Directorate on the behest of BJP-leg government at the center,” said central president of tribal outfit Kendriya Sarna Samiti, Ajay Tirkey.
Peeved by the attitude of central investigation agency, they have been forced to register their protest, he added.
According to Tirkey, they have the support of more than a dozen tribal organizations all over the state from as many as six districts. Thousands of tribals will assemble at Raj Bhawan on Friday to register their protest after summons were issued to chief minister Hemant Soren one after another by ED.
“It is nothing but a bid to malign the image of a tribal Chief Minister in Jharkhand,” said Tireky.
Meanwhile, CM’s media advisor Abihsek Prasad ‘Pintu’ who had skipped ED summons on January 16 in an illegal mining scam, has sent a letter to the central investigation agency informing that he will be available for questioning on January 22.