Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren was arrested on Wednesday by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), immediately after he resigned from the Chief Minister post at Raj Bhavan in Ranchi.
His decision to step down came after more than seven hours of questioning by the ED regarding an alleged land scam earlier that evening. Soren, who was still in ED custody during his resignation, was arrested shortly after submitting it to Governor CP Radhakrishnan.
This event has created a crisis for both the state and the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), a Congress ally.
The opposition, in response to his arrest, raised questions about the credibility of the ED and the alleged involvement of BJP. Here is how the opposition reacted:
Congress Leader Rahul Gandhi
"ED, CBI, IT etc. are no longer government agencies, now they have become BJP's 'eliminate opposition cell'. The BJP itself, steeped in corruption, is running a campaign to destroy democracy in its obsession with power."
Congress Chief Mallikarjun Kharge
“Imposing ED against Jharkhand Chief Minister, Shri Hemant Soren and forcing him to resign is a blow to Federalism. The BJP's work of destabilizing the opposition governments one by one as part of a conspiracy is continuing.”
