Arrest me if I have committed serious offence: Jharkhand CM on ED summons

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Thursday termed the Enforcement Directorate's summons to him as a weapon used by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to target him and said if he has committed a serious offence then he should be directly arrested.

Soren on Thursday skipped summons issued by the ED to face questioning in connection with a case of alleged illegal mining and arrived in Chhattisgarh to attend a pre-scheduled programme. The central agency had asked the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader to appear for questioning at its regional office in Ranchi.

Speaking to reporters at the Swami Vivekananda Airport in Raipur, the Jharkhand Chief Minister accused the BJP, which is in the Opposition in the eastern state, of hatching a conspiracy against him as his government is taking pro-people measures. Soren is here to attend the concluding ceremony of the three-day National Tribal Dance Festival and Chhattisgarh's statehood celebration event called 'Rajyotsava 2022'. Queried ..