Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), the ruling party in Jharkhand, announced on Tuesday it will be filing a defamation case against state BJP chief Babulal Marandi. The move is in response to Marandi's comment about Chief Minister Hemant Soren's "absence" in the state capital Ranchi.
JMM spokesperson Supriyo Bhattacharya stated that a similar defamation case would also be initiated against a frequent-tweeting BJP MP, seemingly referring to Nishikant Dubey, news agency PTI reported. In reaction to the JMM's announcement, the BJP argued that the ruling party could proceed to court, but their case would not withstand judicial scrutiny.
The JMM raised questions about the purpose of Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials' visit to Soren's official residence in Delhi on Monday. This occurred just before his scheduled questioning by the central agency on January 31.
"The CM is not just an individual but a prime institution of the state. But, the way the BJP made allegations against the individual and institution, it qualifies the criteria for Section 499 of CrPC (Defamation). We will soon lodge a criminal case against the president and an opposition parliamentarian who tweets frequently," Bhattacharya was quoted as saying by PTI.
Earlier in the day, Soren chaired a meeting of ministers at his Ranchi residence. Following the meeting, JMM MP Mahua Maji on the BJP's allegations told news agency ANI: "The BJP spread chaos by declaring the CM as an absconder and whatnot. The atmosphere was maligned. To stop that, the CM called for a meeting. He said that there is nothing to fear; I have come and I will face the ED tomorrow."
Marandi's post on X claimed, "People heaved a sigh of relief as chief minister Hemant Soren, who had fled on foot from his Delhi residence late on the night of January 28, returned to the CM residence in Ranchi safe and secure, almost 40 hours later."
Marandi, a former chief minister, also commented on Soren's journey and expressed doubt that Soren would venture beyond Jharkhand's borders in the near future.
The ED's search of Soren's residence in Delhi on Monday lasted almost 13 hours. During the operation, the agency seized Rs 36 lakh, a BMW SUV, and some "incriminating" documents.
Responding to the ED's findings, the JMM spokesperson remarked, "Wasn’t that planned by ED and Babulal (Marandi) Ji? They are treating him (Soren) like a criminal, but I would like to state that our CM is not afraid of anyone," as reported by PTI.
BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, referring to the cash recovery, questioned if the chief minister had hidden "billions" after being "missing" for 50 hours.
In response to the JMM's legal threat, senior BJP leader CP Singh dismissed the likelihood of a defamation case, stating that the JMM's accusations were born out of fear and frustration, the PTI report said.
The ED had previously questioned Soren on January 20 in connection with a land fraud case and issued a fresh summons for further questioning on January 29 or January 31. The JMM raised concerns about the ED officials' visit to Soren's official residence in Delhi, considering his scheduled questioning on January 31.