A delegation of BJP on Monday met Governor CP Radhakrishnan at Raj Bhawan demanding a CBI probe against the ex-principal secretary to Jharkhand chief minister, Rajiv Arun Ekka, for handling government files at the residential office of ED suspect Vishal Chaudhary.
On Sunday, BJP legislature party leader BJP Babulal Marandi released a video clip of Chief Minister’s Principal Secretary Rajiv Arun Ekka signing files, allegedly sitting in the office of middleman Vishal Choudhary.
Hours after Marandi released the video clip of Ekka he was removed from the post. Ekka has been appointed Principal Secretary in Panchayati Raj Department. The Jharkhand Personnel, Administrative Reforms and Official Language Department issued a notification in this regard late in the evening on Sunday.
Vishal Chaudhary's name hit the headlines when the Enforcement Directorate (ED) team raided his hideouts in connection with a money-laundering probe linked to the alleged embezzlement of MGNREGA funds and other charges. The BJP delegation termed the act a violation of provision under section 7 to 13 of Prevention of Corruption Act, section 3 of Official Secret Act and Rule 14 of the Central Civil Service.
The nine members of the delegation included BJP legislature party chief Babulal Marandi, who exposed the corruption releasing a 22-second video clip on Sunday at a press conference, and BJP state organising secretary Karmaveer Singh besides party state president and Rajya Sabha member Deepak Prakash, former BJP state president Dineshanand Goswami, Ravindra Rai, BJP National ST front president and Rajya Sabha member Sameer Oraon, Kanke MLA Samri Lal, Ranchi MLA C.P.Singh, Hatia MLA Naveen Jaiswal and Rajya Sabha member Aditya Sahu.
Marandi also demanded suspension and FIR against Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren’s ex-principal secretary cum home secretary Rajeev Arun Ekka. He raised the demand through a series of tweets a day after Soren ordered Ekka’s transfer to the Panchayati Raj department following Marandi’s allegation of corruption against him.
“Transfer is not a punishment. Chief Minister Hemant Soren, I am requesting against you to suspend Rajeev Arun Ekka,” Marandi tweeted explaining how the principal secretary committed a serious violation of official secrets by taking files of sensitive departments like the home to the office of a private broker.
Marandi also questioned the role of CM through his tweet. “It is said that the CM himself is also the minister of the home department. In such a situation, how would anyone believe that without the permission of the CM, the Secretary of the Home Department would take the departmental files to the broker’s place. …….The Chief Minister should take strict action. Without doing this, how can the CM escape from his responsibility? The government should consider their words seriously. Think and then do whatever you want. Hoihen soi jo Ram Rachi Rakha…..” the tweet reads.