Ranchi, July 10: Jharkhand Finance Minister Radhakrishna Kishore has reportedly stopped using his official government vehicle and is travelling in his personal car, triggering fresh political speculation over his alleged displeasure with the Hemant Soren-led government.
The development comes days after the Congress leader reportedly returned his official vehicle and security arrangement, alleging inadequate convoy facilities and expressing dissatisfaction over the handling of his security-related requests.
When questioned by journalists on Friday about travelling in a private vehicle, Kishore avoided directly addressing the issue.
“All the vehicles in the convoy are government vehicles,” he said, without explaining why he was not using the government-issued car.
The controversy stems from the minister’s demand for restoration of an additional vehicle for his convoy, which he said was essential to accommodate security personnel deployed for his protection. According to Kishore, police headquarters had earlier directed him to return one of the vehicles allotted to his convoy, reducing the number of vehicles available for security staff.
The issue came into public focus when the minister attended a rifle competition at the Mega Sports Complex in Hotwar without his usual security convoy.
Kishore claimed that despite writing twice to the Director General of Police (DGP) seeking restoration of the additional vehicle, his requests received no response.
“Since then, I have written two letters to the DGP requesting the restoration of a vehicle, as the existing fleet was insufficient to transport six personnel each. The DGP did not even respond to my letters,” he said.
Apart from the convoy issue, the Finance Minister also expressed displeasure over the conduct of a Joint Secretary in the Finance Department. He said he had written to the Finance Secretary seeking action against the officer.
“The matter is between a minister and the police, but a junior officer has no right to write directly to me,” Kishore said.
He added that while he could have taken up the issue directly with Chief Minister Hemant Soren, he instead chose to act against what he described as procedural impropriety.
“I could have easily raised the issue with the Chief Minister and resolved the vehicle problem, but I have now taken action against the officers’ behaviour. As Finance Minister, I know better than anyone else about security and other protocols,” he said.
Highlighting security concerns, Kishore said he represents a Left Wing Extremism-affected region and argued that adequate convoy arrangements were necessary for the movement of security personnel.
Referring to a recent crime incident, he said, “Imagine someone being dragged out of a PCR van and assaulted, resulting in death. This exposes the policing system led by the DGP.”
The minister’s decision to travel in his personal vehicle has intensified speculation about differences within the ruling coalition. However, neither the Chief Minister’s Office nor the police headquarters has issued an official statement on the matter, and the government has not publicly commented on the minister’s allegations.
