Under searching questions for quite some time, Chief Minister Raghubar Das responded with all firmness to the unified Opposition in the House and answered some of its allegations to turn the tide.
In his reply, particularly on the charges of inaction and being under pressure, the CM trained the gun on the JMM for running ‘baap-bete ki sarkar’ in the State. Responses from him came twice on Friday when he first rose to assure the unyielding JMM, Congress and JVM members that all their questions would be answered during the Government reply on the Thanks Giving Motion to the Governor address. However, adamant on removal of Chief Secretary Rajbala Verma, DGP DK Pandey and AGD Anurag Gupta, the Opposition was persistent with protests and did not allow the House to transact any scheduled business like before.
Speaker Dinesh Oraon tried to end the deadlock by calling meeting of all the legislative party leaders in his chamber by adjourning the House till 12.15 pm but forced to postpone it till lunch when no change in behaviour came. When the House met for the final time, the CM rose with his reply. “It would have been better had the House listened to the address of the Governor patiently. The approach of the Opposition has inflicted a dent on the prestige of the House. I am not claiming to be a scholar but can claim that I am running this Government with full honesty. I am told as helpless. Itna kamjor bhi nahi hun main,” said Das with a sign of conviction. Coming to the actual bone of contention, the CM clarified that show-cause had been issued to the CS and she was not indicted in any criminal case. “You kept the House dysfunctional for two days. The CBI had asked for her (CS) stand 15 years back. None of the Government so far dared to issue her show-cause notice but we did. No criminal case is against her as it was against Sajal Chakravorty (former CS). Had it been, the CBI would have sent her to jail. She has replied to the show-cause within 15 days to the Personnel Department and the Government would take action based on its merit,” said the CM and also added that the Bakoria encounter case was sub-judice at the moment.
Interestingly, the CS and the DGP were present in the officers’ box in the Assembly when the CM was responding and later left in the same car together when the House adjourned for the day.
The Chief Minister also used the occasion to launch a scathing attack against Leader of Opposition and JMM executive president Hemant Soren by rapping the Governments under him for selling out the State. “People know very well who sold and who bought Jharkhand. It was the JMM and UPA that made tainted officers the Chief Secretaries of the State. JMM is beating its breast here and shedding crocodile’s tear that has made only father and son the Chief Ministers. People know very well what welfare of tribals and moolvasis has taken place under your regime,” responded the CM claiming that he works in the interests of the State.
Das, at the same time, also touched upon critics keep coming from his own Cabinet colleagues and termed it a sign of internal democracy in the party and the Government. “Senior Minister Saryu Roy brought the issue in our notice and it is his right. There is full democracy in our Government where anyone can express his views. Differences happen. Are not there differences between Hemant Soren and Stephen Marandi?” he asked.