Soren: Victim of conspiracy?

Ranchi, Dec. 6: A strong reaction from Jharkhand High Court today forced the JMM to withdraw tomorrow’s bandh in Jharkhand, Orissa and Bengal to protest against the “NDA conspiracy” to get party chief Shibu Soren convicted for murder.

The bandh is both unconstitutional and unfair, said a division bench headed by Chief Justice M. Karpaga Vinayagam. If bandhs are called against every order of conviction, there would be bandhs and strikes every day, the court added.

JMM leaders, who had promised a “peaceful bandh”, got into a huddle once they learnt of the high court’s observation. By evening, the party decided to call off the agitation.

However, before the decision was taken, most schools had announced they would remain closed tomorrow. Buses and three-wheeler operators, too, had indicated they would keep off roads, apprehending violence.

The bench, while hearing an application moved by a person named Krishna Kumar, observed that the court had, in an earlier case, declared a JMM-sponsored bandh illegal. The order was passed in December 2003 on a petition filed by high court advocate Sailesh Kumar, whose vehicle had been damaged by bandh supporters. The court had then imposed a “ban on bandhs” and the restriction remained, the judges said today.

The court said if the JMM still went ahead with the bandh, it would amount to contempt of court.

There are other ways of showing resentment against a court order and an appeal can be filed before a higher court, the bench said. An agitation that is potentially violent is not appropriate, it added.

The high court also directed the chief secretary and the director-general of police to ensure that adequate arrangements are made to protect the life and property of citizens. It asked the administration to see to it that normal life was not disturbed.

Bandhs in the state have become far too frequent and are causing considerable harassment to people, the court said.

Lok Sabha MP Hemlal Murmu had earlier said that the JMM bore no grudge against the judiciary and the protest was against the alleged conspiracy to implicate Soren.

Deputy chief minister Sudhir Mahto said the party’s rank and file believed that Soren was a victim of conspiracy.