After Jharkhand CM's ED claim, BJP accuses him of resorting to "diversionary tactics"

Speaking at a public meeting at Chaibasa's Goilkera on Saturday, CM Soren said that whenever his government demands its dues from the Centre, it "unleashes" the ED on him.

Refuting his claim at a press conference on Sunday, BJP spokesperson Pratul Shahdeo said the state Finance Minister, himself, said on the floor of the Assembly said the state didn't owe a single penny from the Centre.

On CM Soren's claim that a conspiracy was in the works to put him behind bars, Shahdeo said a careful sifting of data and the examination of facts would reveal that he was merely indulging in "diversionary tactics".

"It's about time that the CM was briefed on the facts of the matter. During his stint as the Gujarat chief minister, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was questioned for ten hours under the (Congress-led) UPA. The same government later gave him a clean chit. PM Modi never made an issue of being questioned by the central agencies," Shahdeo said.

"CM Soren is clearly scared as the judgment day nears. This is why he is making such unfounded claims," he added.

Soren was summoned by the ED in mid-August in connection with a land 'scam' case. However, the CM ignored the summons claiming that he was busy with the state's Independence Day celebrations.

He was asked again to appear on August 24 and September 9 but he skipped the summonses citing preoccupations.

The agency then issued its fourth summons to the Jharkhand CM, asking him to report to the agency on September 23.

The CM had earlier threatened to move for legal proceedings against the Centre if it did not withdraw the summonses issued against him.

In his letter to the agency, Soren said he had provided all necessary documents and information to the ED.

He wrote that if the ED needed any information, it could refer to the documents that he had already shared with the agency.

However, he alleged that the ED summoned him on August 14, at the behest of its "political masters". (ANI)