BJP asked why Jharkhand CM took his wife to Sweden formally, not industry ministers, not industry ministers

BJP MLA Babulal Marandi. document. |Photo source: PTI

To promote the industrial and energy sector in Jharkhand, Chief Minister Hemant Soren and his wife Kalpana Soren, the MLA of the State Assembly, traveled to Sweden and Spain on a nine-day trip on Friday (18 April 2025).

Babulal Marandi, the president and opposition of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), opposed the trip when legal and order issues arose in Jharkhand. He also objected to Mr. Sauron taking his wife on a formal trip, asking why the state minister of industry was excluded from the delegation.

The Jharkhand delegation will visit Barcelona and Madrid in Spain, as well as Gothenburg in Sweden between April 19 and 27. The delegation will meet with foreign investors to inform them of the state government’s policies and invite them to attend the mine auction house in Jharkhand.

The delegation included Ms. Soren, who also chaired the Women and Child Welfare Committee at the Legislative Conference of Jharkhand, Chief Secretary Alka Tiwari, other Chief Secretary Avinash Kumar, State Industrial Secretary Arwa Rajkamal, Director of Industry Bureau Sushant Gaurav, Sushant Gaurav, Private Consultant, Chief Minister Ajay Kumar Singhhers verse.

The Minister of Industry does not include

Mr. Marandi posted on X, criticizing Mr. Sauron’s trip. “The law and order in the state have collapsed, murders are in the cage, and the power crisis has deepened. At the end of this, the Chief Minister is heading to Sweden and Spain with his MLA wife and leaving with a large government delegation.”

He added: “If the purpose of this trip was to bring foreign investment, then the biggest question is why the industry minister was not taken away? The delegation included the secretary and director of the industry department, but the name of the industry minister was lost on the list. Does the minister have no role in the investment negotiations?”

Mr Marandi claimed that this was not the industry minister, Sanjay Prasad Yadav, who was the RJD leader, was humiliated. Marandi said earlier, at a major investment meeting in Kolkata, the Minister of Industry was blocked from attending the meeting, and Mr. Sauron brought his wife to his place at the last minute.

“Hemant ji, if the trip was formal, what is Kalpana Soren’s identity as the replacement of the industry minister? Mr. Marandi asked. He was surprised that the retired Indian Foreign Service Officer was also included in the delegation.

Investment Strategy

Senior Ministry of Industry officials said the visit to CM is part of the state’s comprehensive strategy to attract foreign direct investment (FDI) in dynamic sectors such as steel and metals, energy (regular and renewable energy), advanced manufacturing and infrastructure development.

Jharkhand is one of India’s richest countries and has made a significant contribution to the country’s industrial output, with some well-known figures such as Tata Steel, India Steel Authority Limited (SAIL) and National Thermal Electrical Appliances Corporation (NTPC), which is active in the state.

The scheduled business forums and B2B meetings will provide Spanish companies with opportunities for ambitious industrial roadmap in Jharkhand, investor promotion policy, and public-private partnerships. The delegation will also hold meetings in Sweden.