MLA says was offered Rs. 1cr to topple Jharkhand government
An MLA from the Congress party has claimed some unknown persons had approached him multiple times, offering him Rs. 1 crore and a Ministerial position to topple the Jharkhand government. His accusations came a day after the Jharkhand Police arrested three persons, who were allegedly hatching a conspiracy against the government. Jharkhand has a coalition government, comprising the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, Congress, and RJD.
Naman Bixal Kongari, a legislator from Kolebira, said he was approached by three people in the past. "Despite me asking them to go away, they used to find a way to come back...Once, they offered me more than Rs. 1 crore in cash," he said, according to The Indian Express. He stated he had informed Chief Minister Hemant Soren and Congress leaders about it.
Kongari further claimed those people were associated with the rival Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). "They had approached me stating that apart from the money, I will get a Ministerial post and support for all our agendas related to minority and tribal affairs." He, however, said he could not confirm if the three who were arrested on Saturday were the same people who approached him.
About the controversy, Jharkhand Congress in-charge RPN Singh said, "I can't discuss these matters with the press," according to The Indian Express. Soren has also not spoken about the issue as yet. Meanwhile, BJP leader and former Jharkhand CM Babulal Marandi called the episode "fishy" and demanded a fair probe into the matter by a Special Investigation Team.
Three people - Abhishek Dubey, Amit Singh, and Niwaran Prasad Mahato - were arrested on Saturday for allegedly conspiring against the government. A complaint had been filed by the Congress's Bermo MLA Kumar Jaimangal. The police case has been registered under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) Sections 419 (party to criminal conspiracy), 420 (cheating), 124A (sedition), and 120B (criminal conspiracy).
All three accused have confessed they were part of a conspiracy to topple the state government, according to police sources cited by India Today. Amit Singh is reportedly a contractual worker at the Bokaro Steel Plant. Meanwhile, another accused, Mahato's Facebook account carries pictures of him with BJP's Dhanbad MP Pashupati Nath and some local leaders. BJP has denied his association with the party.
However, the families of the accused say they are innocent. Mahato is a vegetable vendor and Dubey a daily wage laborer, according to their family members. Both are residents of Bokaro and were nabbed by the police from there, they added.
