After three Congress MLAs from Jharkhand were arrested in West Bengal for allegedly carrying a huge amount of cash in their car on Saturday, 30 July, Congress MP Jairam Ramesh has dubbed the developments in the state as 'the Bharatiya Janata Party's Operation Lotus.'
"The BJP's ‘Operation Lotus’ in Jharkhand stands exposed tonight in Howrah. The game plan of ‘Hum Do’ in Delhi is to do in Jharkhand what they did in Maharashtra by installing E-D duo," Ramesh said.
The three MLAs – Irfan Ansari, MLA from Jamtara, Rajesh Kachhap, MLA from Khijri, and Naman Bixal, MLA from Kolebira – have been sent to 10-day police custody.
The arrest was followed by the Congress MLA from Bermo, Kumar Jaimangal, alleging that they (arrested MLAs) offered him money "to topple the government."
'Not Scared of BJP': Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren
Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, who is facing turmoil as the Enforcement Directorate investigates his alleged involvement in the illegal land mining case in the state, said that the BJP is trying to write a "new definition of politics in the country."
"They are trying to destabilize our govt as well. Seeing the latest episode it can be said that they couldn't succeed in their attempt. This too is a face of their dirty politics. This is an attack on democracy. We were never afraid of BJP and we will never be afraid of them," he added.
'BJP Trying To Destabilise Elected Governments'
Congress leader Pawan Khera said government agencies, instead of doing their job, are working as an extended arm of the BJP to destabilise elected governments, reported news agency PTI.
Jharkhand Congress incharge Avinash Pande said that Congress president Sonia Gandhi has suspended the three MLAs with immediate effect.
The three MLAs were allegedly involved in a plot to weaken the Congress Legislature Party in Jharkhand and also in "misleading" other legislators, he added.
"We have information about everyone. In the coming days, be it any public representative, any office-bearer of the Congress or any worker, whoever is found connected to or involved in this, the party will take strict action against them," Pande said.
He also said that the JMM-led coalition government in Jharkhand is completely "secure and stable" and that the MLAs, "barring a few black sheep," will fight such attempts in a united manner.
He further accused the BJP of attempting to "destabilise the government in Jharkhand."
'Trying To Hide Corruption,' Says BJP
Senior BJP leader and former Jharkhand CM Babulal Marandi said that Congress is trying to hide the misdeeds of their own MLAs. "This is shameful and ridiculous. They do not trust their own MLAs. They are trying to hide the corruptions and misdeeds of their MLAs," said Marandi.
Union Minister Arjun Munda also accused the Congress of making allegations to hide the corruption in their party, reported news agency ANI.
"They (Congress MLAs) must explain where all the cash recovered from the car came from. They have to tell what they were doing in Bengal with a huge amount of cash," he said.
BJP spokesperson Syed Zafar Islam in Delhi also accused the Congress of shifting the blame for its own legislators' wrongdoing and made the counterclaim that Jharkhand has become a "den of corruption."
"The Congress has been exposed again. Corruption has reached huge proportions in Jharkhand. The state government has been frequently involved in graft and the state has become a den of corruption," he alleged.
(With inputs from PTI and ANI.)
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