Jamshedpur: Hundreds of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) activists on Monday squatted along a stretch of the Dimna Chowk here and other parts of the state and disrupted road traffic to protest against the “harassment” of Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
The ‘Jan Aakrosh’ protest on National Highway-33 was spontaneous and not a scheduled party programme, a functionary of the East Singhbhum District Committee of JMM said.
The demonstrations show the “anger of party workers as well as the masses against the ED, which on the behest of the central government has been harassing the CM”, alleged Ramdas Soren, MLA (Ghatsila) and president of the party's East Singhbhum District Committee.
Such agitations are taking place across the State, he said.
A massive rally was also taken out by the JMM workers in Ranchi, accusing the ED of targeting Soren, also the executive president of the party.
An ED team on Monday visited the Delhi residence of Soren to question him in connection with a money laundering investigation in an alleged land fraud case.
The federal agency had questioned Soren at his official residence in Ranchi on January 20 in the case, and issued fresh summons to him asking him to confirm his availability for questioning on either January 29 or January 31.
Official sources claimed he was "missing" and could not be contacted by the agency.
The JMM leader, who had left for Delhi from Ranchi on January 27 night, has sent an email to the agency in which he has agreed to a fresh round of questioning by the ED investigators on January 31 at his Ranchi residence around 1 pm, they said.
A police officer said traffic movement on NH-33 came to a halt due to the demonstration, which was withdrawn following intervention of the district police.
Published 29 January 2024, 17:08 IST