Support of people my strength: Soren

Cornered in a mine lease case, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Thursday, in a veiled attack on the Centre, said constitutional institutions can be bought but ''how will you buy public support''.

He also said that his strength lay in the support of people.

''You can buy constitutional institutions, how will you buy public support,'' Soren said in a tweet, sharing a photograph of his felicitation by members of Jharkhand State Police Association following the restoration of their compensatory leaves.

The state cabinet had on Wednesday restored compensatory leave of class IV employees of Jharkhand Police with an additional honorarium of one month.

Soren, amid uncertainty over his future as the state’s chief minister with the BJP having sought his disqualification as an MLA for alleged violation of electoral law, said, ''This display of affection from thousands of our hardworking policemen of Jharkhand and the support of people is my strength.'' The Election Commission sent its opinion to Jharkhand Governor Ramesh Bais earlier this morning on the plea seeking Soren’s disqualification as an MLA.

The BJP, the petitioner in the case, has sought Soren's disqualification for allegedly violating section 9 A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, which deals with disqualification for government contracts.

The clause states, ''A person shall be disqualified if, and for so long as, there subsists a contract entered into by him in the course of his trade or business with the appropriate government for the supply of goods to, or for the execution of any works undertaken by, that government.'' The issue was referred to the governor and by him to EC.

Addressing the media at his residence, Soren said, ''There is smile on the faces of policemen though it is not Holi today. We have always tried to ensure that all employees in the state work without any fear...'' He said policemen have been discharging their duties in difficult terrains and in Naxal-hit areas, away from home, sacrificing their personal and social lives.

''They have a right to live a life with dignity...We have worked for the welfare of the people in the past and are doing it in the present too,'' Soren said.

A tweet from Chief Minister's Office said that 70,000 policemen have expressed gratitude after their compensatory leaves were restored.

Soren alleged that constitutional authorities and public agencies were blatantly being misused after reports claimed that the Election Commission recommended his disqualification as an MLA.

“No communication in this regard has been received by the Chief Minister's Office” from either the Election Commission or Governor Ramesh Bais, his secretariat said.

''It seems that BJP leaders including a BJP MP and his puppet journalists have themselves drafted the ECI report, which is otherwise always given in a sealed cover,'' Soren said in a statement, issued by his secretariat.

''This blatant misuse of constitutional authorities and public agencies and its complete takeover by BJP headquarters in Deendayal Upadhay Marg in this shameful manner is unseen in Indian democracy,'' he added.

According to Raj Bhavan sources, however, the Election Commission is believed to have told Governor Ramesh Bais that Soren should be disqualified as an MLA for violating electoral norms.

However, Raj Bhavan has officially not confirmed the development.