What AAP leader and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal didn’t do was boldly done by Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren and now his cabinet colleague and Congress leader Alamgir Alam. 

Contrast is too apparent in their deeds.

Both Kejriwal and Soren were Chief Ministers of the Opposition ruled states. Both were arrested by the same central agency. Both contended that the arresting officer didn’t satisfy the PMLA condition of having sufficient “reasons to believe” the accused’s involvement.

Yet Kejriwal had preferred not to resign from the post of CM even though he was booked and jailed by the ED months ago in money laundering connected with a multi-million ripped liquor scam. 

Alongside his counterpart Hemant Soren from Jharkhand had quit the post of CM before being arrested by the ED on January 31. 

True, there was no rule making it mandatory to quit the post he/ she was holding after or before getting arrested by the law enforcement agency. 

However,there were several reputed leaders such as BJP stalwart LK Advani who had resigned soon after the charges of corruption were slapped on them.  

Kejriwal did not follow the “ moral” ground, unlike Soren who proved he stood high on this platform. In Jharkhand, Soren is not alone. 

The latest case pertains to Jharkhand Minister Alamgir Alam. While he is in jail in connection with a money laundering case, he has resigned from the state cabinet and also as the leader of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP). 

In a letter to Chief Minister Champai Soren from Birsa Munda Central Jail, Ranchi, Alam tendered his resignation as a cabinet minister, it is learnt. 

Alam, in another letter to AICC chief Mallikarjun Kharge, said, "I hereby submit my resignation from the post of leader of Congress Legislature Party, Jharkhand. I shall remain grateful to the party leadership for providing me an opportunity to work and serve as CLP leader." 

The Enforcement Directorate had on May 15 arrested the Congress leader in a money laundering case, days after about ₹32 crore cash was seized from premises linked to his aide. 

The opposition BJP in the state last week demanded the removal of Alam from the Champai Soren cabinet.

 

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