JMM Leader slams ED raids in Jharkhand and West Bengal, says " BJP is losing badly once again"
Ranchi: Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader Manoj Pandey on Tuesday criticised the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) recent raids in Jharkhand and West Bengal, which are part of an investigation into money laundering linked to suspected Bangladeshi infiltration. Pandey accused the central agencies of targeting opposition states ahead of elections.
Pandey said, "You do such exercises before the elections and try to set a narrative. Whatever exercise the central agencies have done till now, nothing has happened, they have not found anything, nor have they been able to establish anything. But the central agencies have to bow down to the pressure of the central government and such acts are seen... BJP is losing badly once again. This truth needs to be accepted..."
Earlier in the day, ED conducted raids across more than a dozen locations in Jharkhand and West Bengal. The raids are part of an ongoing investigation into money laundering activities connected to alleged Bangladeshi infiltration. The ED is examining several individuals and organizations suspected of involvement in illegal financial dealings tied to cross-border activities.
The ED has also taken over a case filed on June 6 in Ranchi, regarding the alleged infiltration. The investigation focuses on financial and logistical networks that may be facilitating such activities, which could have broader implications for cross-border security.
Earlier on Monday, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey labelled Godda, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren's constituency, as the "biggest centre of corruption," alleging that land and forest resources in the area have been exploited through illegal deals.
Dubey further alleged that the Chief Minister's office has connections with overseas companies and is colluding with local mafias.
Addressing reporters, Dubey said, "Godda is the biggest centre of corruption of the current government. Hemant Soren is the head of the Jharkhand government and is an MLA from Godda."
Speaking about Prime Minister Narendra Modi's planned visit to the region, the BJP leader added, "There is no need to tell about Godda, how they looted the forest and land, how they sent chips to Bangladesh in connivance with the stone mafia... How a Dubai company is formed, which does not even have the permission of RBI, which is not even mentioned in the income tax... Corruption is a big issue for them."
Dubey added, "We will also come to see what kind of a Chief Minister he is who is not able to provide drinking water to the people of his area."
Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah also criticized Soren's government, accusing it of allowing illegal land transfers to immigrants. Speaking at a rally in Tamar, Shah said, "The illegal immigrants are taking up the jobs meant for tribals of the state... The infiltrators are dangerous for our daughters, our resources, and our land... When we form the government, we will bring a law which will prohibit the immigrant from registering tribal land in his name, even if he marries a tribal girl. We will make the immigrant give back the acquired land."
Shah also accused Jharkhand's Chief Minister of vote bank politics, claiming that "Bangladeshi infiltrators" are moving into Jharkhand under Soren's administration. He assured voters that the BJP would remove all such infiltrators, promising, "Trust us; we (BJP) do what we say. I promise you today that we will pick out all the infiltrators who have entered Jharkhand."
The Union Home Minister also highlighted recent political tensions within the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), referring to the removal of senior party leader Champai Soren from his position. According to Shah, this dismissal showed a lack of respect for Jharkhand's tribal community. "Champai Soren has been loyal for so many years... but how he was humiliated and removed is not just an insult to him but to the entire tribal community. The main issue was that Champai Soren stated that corruption should stop, but the JMM was not willing to end it," Shah alleged.
The remarks come as Jharkhand heads into assembly elections, scheduled for November 13 and 20, with results to be announced on November 23. In the previous elections, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha won 30 seats, the BJP won 25, and the Congress won 16 seats.
