Hemant Soren arrest: Tamil Nadu CM Stalin slams BJP for "blatant vendetta politics"

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Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin Thursday condemned the arrest of former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren by the Enforcement Directorate, describing it as "outrageous and shameful."

Stalin accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of engaging in blatant vendetta politics and expressed concern over the use of investigative agencies to harass tribal leaders.

Stalin took to Twitter to express his disapproval, "Outrageous and shameful! The arrest of Jharkhand Chief Minister Thiru @HemantSorenJMM is a blatant display of political vendetta by the Union BJP government." He criticized the BJP's tactics, emphasizing that such actions wouldn't silence opposition voices.

Despite the challenges, Stalin commended Hemant Soren for standing strong against the BJP's alleged bullying tactics. He called Soren's determination to fight back an inspiration in the face of adversity.

Hemant Soren, who claimed innocence in the money laundering case leading to his arrest, asserted that the ED attempted to tarnish his image through raids at his Delhi residence. In a video message, he stated, "No evidence has been found yet. We have to fight a new fight now against those who commit atrocities against the poor, Adivasis, Dalit, and the innocent."

Facing questioning for over six hours, Hemant Soren resigned as the Jharkhand Chief Minister after meeting Governor CP Radhakrishnan at Raj Bhawan. The ED's investigation revolves around an alleged land scam, accusing Soren of involvement in a racket facilitating the illegal change of ownership of land.

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Soren remained resolute, asserting, "Struggle is in our blood, and we will do that. I will not cow down. Ultimately truth will prevail and will win the battle."

Meanwhile, the Congress General Secretary, Jairam Ramesh, criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, alleging their involvement in vendetta politics after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested Hemant Soren in a money laundering case. Ramesh stated that the BJP's agenda is to disrupt the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra and accused the government of politically harassing opposition leaders.

Expressing concerns about the political situation in Jharkhand, Congress leader Shilpi Neha Tirkey questioned why the Governor was not calling them despite having a majority. Ghulam Ahmad Mir, Congress's Jharkhand in charge, mentioned the safeguarding of MLAs from poaching by the BJP, keeping them in a secure location until the Governor decides on government formation.

Ranchi SSP Chandan Kumar Sinha assured that law and order in the state remained peaceful amid the political turmoil. He mentioned extensive police deployment at 150 locations with over 2,000 personnel. (With inputs from agencies)