RAJ KUMAR
Ranchi, Nov 16: Security has been beefed up outside the BJP and AJSU headquarters in Harmu Housing Colony in the wake of political development taking place in the Jharkhand capital following second notice of Enforcement Directorate to chief minister Hemant Soren for questioning in a case of laundering of money earned by illegal mining.
As many as 12 police personnel have been permanently deployed outside the BJP state headquarters while 10 personnel have been deployed outside the AJSU headquarters. Apart from this, regular patrolling is going on in the area to ensure that nothing wrong happens there and peace is maintained.
Though officer-in-charge of Argora police station Vinod Kumar said it a ‘precautionary measure’ and ‘routine exercise of police’, a police official said it was preparation for ‘Agni Pariksha’ in which police officials in the Jharkhand capital are expected to appear tomorrow.
“Thousands of JMM workers have reached the city in the name of expressing their gratitude to Hemant Soren for passing bills that identify locals on the basis of 1932 Khatiyan and increase backward reservation from 14 percent to 27 percent. Actually this is a show of strength before the appearance of Soren before ED. Now it is difficult for us to assess to what extent the JMM workers have prepared. In case something wrong happens we will not only have to face trouble from the state government but also from the union government,” a police official said, requesting anonymity.
Another police official echoed the same. “While JMM workers are assembling in the name of expressing gratitude to Soren, AJSU workers are expected to assemble tomorrow to protest at the district headquarter for their demands. With an assembly of a big number of political party workers, traffic is also set to go haywire and it will be a tough time for the police to handle,” the police official said.
Amid preparation BJP workers appeared cool and calm. “BJP has no role tomorrow to play. ED will do its job,” said BJP spokesperson Pratul Nath Shahdeo. Other BJP workers echoed the same saying no instruction has come from the party side taking the emerging political situation in the Jharkhand capital.
