VIJAY DEO JHA
Ranchi, Nov 15: Jharkhand Governor Ramesh Bais skipped the statehood foundation day programme held at the Morabadi ground on Tuesday which he was scheduled to attend as the chief guest.
He is the second constitutional head who has maintained distance with the statehood programme. Earlier, President Droupadi Murmu who scheduled to grace the programme as the chief guest. But the office of the President made the last minute change on Monday and decided not to attend the programme.
The development has taken place at a time when the Chief Minister Hemant Soren is facing heat of the money laundering investigation in the illegal stone mining scam. The Enforcement Directorate summoned him to join the probe on November 17. Besides, the state government is at loggerhead with the Governor in the matter related to disqualification of Chief Minister Hemant Soren for availing stone mining lease.
While the Governor has still not disclosed the opinion of the Election Commission of India regarding the disqualification, the Chief Minister on Monday filed a petition before the Jharkhand High Court to intervene in this matter and pass necessary instructions to the Governor.
However, the office of the Governor remained tight-lipped; it is believed that the Governor apparently anticipated that some unpleasant and embarrassing incidents might take place.
In his absence, JMM patriarch and Rajya Sabha MP Shibu Soren presided the programme as the chief guest.
