Manjhi Expresses Sympathy for Champai Soren a Day After Welcoming Him to NDA

With uncertainty rife over what next for Jharkhand Mukti Morcha leader Champai Soren, Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi came out in solidarity with him Monday, hitting out at the treatment meted out by his own party to the senior tribal leader. Manjhi termed the party's action as unacceptable and against democratic norms.

The HAM chief, Manjhi, alleged an "affront and insult" that Champai Soren had been subjected to despite being at the helm as Jharkhand Chief Minister for seven months. "It is rather disheartening. When somebody is given respect, given a particular position and is then removed, it very disheartening. Champai Soren was there for seven months as the CM in Jharkhand. Though he did well and followed in the footsteps of Hemant Soren. It never appeared that he was going against the party. After Hemant Soren came out of jail, he was shown the door without any reason."

He added, "If Champai Soren feels hurt in this situation, it is understandable and we share his pain. Such things should not happen in a democracy."

Manjhi's gratitude to Champai Soren is important because it was he who had given an invitation to Soren to join the NDA fold the previous evening. As Soren's unscheduled visit to Delhi Sunday amid reports of his likely joining the BJP created a flutter, HAM had tweeted on X, "Champai da, you were a tiger, you are a tiger and you will remain a tiger. Welcome to the NDA family. Johar Tiger."

Champai Soren, a former close aide of Hemant Soren spoke about the humiliation he was subjected to and the bid of party leaders to "devaluate" the role of the Chief Minister. He expressed his dissatisfaction over his forced exit, thereby facilitating the way for Hemant Soren's reinstatement after release from jail and hinted at leaving the party. "Since then to the day when Jharkhand goes to polls, all three options will remain open before me – retiring from politics, floating a new outfit or uniting with an ally with similar interests," Soren said.

Jitan Ram Manjhi of the INDIA bloc criticized them for opposing the lateral entry scheme in the bureaucracy and dismissed their claims of conspiracy against SCs, STs, and OBCs. "I come from Scheduled Caste community in Bihar. Prime Minister Narendra Modi included me in his cabinet and gave Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises", he said referring to his own experience.