Chief Minister of Jharkhand: Center-State Relations like Russia-Ukraine: Chief Minister of Jharkhand

Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Wednesday drew a parallel between Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the “use of agencies to destabilize the democratically elected government” at the center, stressing that he would not give in to pressure.

Soren, who was in an office-of-profit debate, also said he would respond appropriately to the BJP-led center, “as Ukraine responded to the Russian invasion.”

“The way the Center was using the agency to destabilize the democratically elected state government in Jharkhand can be compared to Russia’s military action to militarize and wipe out Ukraine. Russia thought it could oust Ukraine in a day or two, but look at Ukraine. How the counter-attack is going on, the war has been going on for three months now, “Soren told PTI.

If the Center thinks it can destabilize a democratically elected government by creating a “false statement”, it is grossly wrong, he stressed.

“We’re going to fight … I won’t run away or run away like a coward,” Suren said.

The chief minister has been asked to respond to the Election Commission as to why he should not be disqualified for holding a “profit office” by leasing mines to him.

He asked for four weeks to respond to the notice, but the poll panel gave him only 10 days.

“The allegations against me are baseless, false and fabricated. The issue of mining lease is an old issue, which was duly declared by me in my election affidavit in 2007,” Soren wanted to know, “why the BJP woke up and suddenly woke up.”

The CM noted that the legal opinion was in his favor and it was unlikely that he would be disqualified as a legislator.

“It is a conspiracy of the BJP to obstruct the development work of the state. The secret motives of the Saffron Party are not unknown to anyone. Everywhere, the Center has treated the poor state like an honest mother, exploiting its mineral resources,” he said.

Coal hitting the center with arrears from PSU, Soren reiterated that the state was going through an economic crisis and that the BJP-led central government, despite being told about it, was “maintaining silence on the issue, rather than creating obstacles. For the state”.

“The non-payment of Rs 1.36 lakh crore by the coal companies is affecting the socio-economic development projects of the starving state,” he said.

Soren had earlier warned the Center that it would cut off coal supply to PSU if the arrears were not paid.

In a recent letter to the Center, he underlined, “Jharkhand is a mineral rich state and activities derived from coal are major contributors to its treasury (80 per cent).”