VIJAY DEO JHA
Ranchi, Nov 10: All the three MLAs of Jharkhand Congress are returning to Ranchi by tonight to attend the special session of the Jharkhand assembly scheduled on Friday.
Jharkhand Congress MLA Irfan Ansari along with Rajesh Kacchap and Naman Bixel Kongari were arrested by the West Bengal police on July 30 at Howrah along with Rs 49 Lakh cash. They were charged for receiving money from the BJP to topple the Hemant Soren led JMM-Congress-RJD government in Jharkhand. Later they were granted interim bail by the Calcutta High court and directed them to stay at Kolkata for a period of three months. Now the court has allowed them to move freely hence they are returning to Jharkhand. The West Bengal police booked them and carried out an investigation against them on the basis of a zero FIR lodged by another Congress MLA Jaimangal Singh. Now the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has also taken up this case.
Speaking to Lagatar24.com Irfan Ansari said that they are coming to Ranchi via road and they are expected to reach Ranchi around 9.30 PM and they will first pay homage to Bhagwan Birsa Munda at Birsa Chowk. “After more than three months we are coming to our home state. Some people including Jaimangal Singh ruined our prestige and career. We were never a part of any such dtry trick of toppling the government. God will surely punish such people. It is now time for Jaimangal Singh to explain to people about his alleged illegal income. The Income Tax department has raided his premises,” said Irfan Ansari.
Irfan Ansari further welcomed the ED initiating a probe into this matter. “We believe that the ED would bring the truth of the conspiracy. We have faced Bengal police and we are ready to face ED also. Jaimangal Singh now has to explain as to when I offered him to join the BJP and topple the government. Let him submit evidence. Two other MLAs Neha Tirkey and Bhushan Bara made false allegations against us. I am a loyal worker of the Congress and they have ruined my prestige,” he said.
“We the MLAs are innocent and the money belongs to us. we came to Kolkata to purchase saris and football for distribution among people on the occasion of world tribals day. We have Congress blood in our veins and we can’t join the BJP,” Irfan Ansari said.
“I want to tell Mamata Banerjee that the way we were falsely implicated made us feel bad. I have a lot of respect for her. We were implicated for political gains. I belong to the Muslim community whereas Naman Bixel Kongari is a Christian priest and Rajesh Kacchap is tribal. The BJP doesn’t suit us. Tell me can three MLAs pull down any government,” he said.
