Ranchi, May 8 (PTI) The political blame game over alleged corruption intensified in Jharkhand on Sunday as workers of the ruling JMM and the BJP staged protests.

Claiming that the saffron party is making “all efforts” to malign the image of Chief Minister Hemant Soren, JMM workers staged demonstrations outside the state BJP headquarters here.

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Meanwhile, the saffron camp took out a mock funeral procession of the ruling JMM-Congress dispensation in protest against the government's alleged inability to curb corruption in the mineral-rich state.

The JMM workers staged the demonstration a day after allegations were levelled by chartered accountant Suman Kumar, who was taken into custody by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a case linked to alleged embezzlement of MGNREGA funds in Jharkhand's Khunti district as part of which multiple premises, including that of state mining secretary Pooja Singhal and others, were raided.

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“The accused (Kumar) is openly admitting before the media that he is being pressurised to name the chief minister in connection with the alleged recovery of a huge amount of cash from his premises. We have been iterating that BJP is misusing the central agencies.

“The BJP is making all efforts to malign the image of the chief minister," JMM spokesperson Supriyo Bhattacharya told journalists here.

Reacting to the demonstration by JMM workers, Jharkhand BJP president Deepak Prakash said that the ruling party was doing this “out of frustration”.

During the day, the BJP took out a mock funeral procession of the Hemant Soren -led government and burnt its effigy.

The state BJP president led the procession from Harmu Chowk to Argora Chowk area in the state capital.

Speaking on the occasion, Prakash claimed “corruption has reached its zenith under the Hemant Soren regime. Mines and minerals are being looted and corrupt officials are getting government patronage. The BJP will be fighting against this social evil.”

Seeking the resignation of the chief minister on moral grounds, the BJP leader said the JMM-Congress government is "playing with the sentiments of the people" .

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)