Centre-state relation like that of Russia-Ukraine: Jharkhand CM

By PTI

RANCHI: Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Wednesday drew parallels between Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the Centre’s “use of agencies to destabilise a democratically elected government”, asserting that he wouldn’t kowtow below strain.

Soren, who within the midst of an office-of-profit controversy, additionally stated that he would give a befitting reply to the BJP-led Centre, “just like Ukraine had been responding to Russia’s offensive”.

“The way the Centre had been spreading propaganda, using agencies to destabilise a democratially elected state government in Jharkhand, it can be compared to Russia’s military action to demilitarize and wipeout Ukraine. Russia had thought it could knock down Ukraine in a day or two, but look how Ukraine is staging a counter-offensive, with the war going on for three months now,” Soren stated.

If the Centre thinks it may destabilise a democratically elected authorities by making a “false narrative”, it’s grossly mistaken, he asserted. “We are going to fight…I will not kowtow or run away like a coward,” Soren stated.

The CM has been requested to furnish reply to Election Commission as to why he shouldn’t be disqualified for holding an “office of profit” by granting a mining lease in his favour.

He had sought 4 weeks to furnish a reply to the discover, however the ballot panel has given him simply 10 days.

“The allegations against me are unfounded, false and fabricated. The mining lease issue is an old matter, which was duly declared by me in election affidavits way back in 2007,” Soren stated, looking for to know “why did the BJP wake up from slumber all of sudden”.

The CM identified authorized opinion is in his favour and it’s unlikely that he could be disqualified as MLA. “This is a ploy by the BJP to thwart development work in the state. The saffron party’s ulterior motives are not unknown to anyone. All throughout, the Centre had meted out a step-motherly treatment to the poor state, exploited its mineral resources,” he claimed.

Hitting out on the Centre over the dues pending from coal PSUs, Soren reiterated that the state was going via an financial disaster, and the BJP-led Union authorities, regardless of being instructed about it, was “maintaining silence over the matter, rather creating obstacles for the state”.

“Non-payment of Rs 1.36 lakh crore by the coal companies is impacting the socio-economic development projects in the fund-starved state,” he said.

Soren had earlier warned the Centre that it will cease coal provide to the PSUs if the dues weren’t cleared.

In a letter to the Centre just lately, he underlined, “Jharkhand is a mineral-rich state and proceedings from coal is the main contributor (80 per cent) to its exchequer.”