Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has alleged that former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren was denied bail because he belongs to a tribal community. Speaking at the ‘Samvidhan Samman Sammelan’ in Panchkula, Haryana, Gandhi remarked, “Two sitting Chief Ministers were arrested, and the one who went to jail first is still behind bars, essentially because he is from a tribal community.”
He further claimed that there is a systemic bias against lower castes, tribals, and Dalits, using various political figures as examples. “Mayawati is considered corrupt but not Naveen Patnaik; Lalu Yadav is corrupt… if someone is tribal or Dalit, he is automatically framed,” Gandhi said.
Hemant Soren was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in January in connection with a money laundering case linked to an alleged land scam. He remains in judicial custody without interim relief from the courts. In contrast, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who was arrested by the ED in March in relation to the Delhi liquor policy case, was granted interim bail by the Supreme Court until June 1 for the Lok Sabha elections in Delhi.
The BJP criticized Gandhi’s remarks, accusing him of trying to create a societal divide. BJP spokesperson Vinusha Reddy stated on social media, “He blames Hemant Soren’s caste for not being granted bail while linking Arvind Kejriwal’s release to him being an upper caste. He seems unhappy as Kejriwal took all his limelight, but this rhetoric can dangerously influence society.”
Gandhi also spoke about his perception of systemic bias against lower castes, claiming deep knowledge of the system due to his family’s political involvement. He said, “In the prime minister’s house, when my grandmother and later father were PM, and later Dr. Manmohan Singh, I used to go there, so I know the system from inside. And I am saying the system is aligned against lower castes, in a major way, at every level.”
He emphasized the lack of representation of Dalits, OBCs, tribal communities, and minorities in the country’s power structure and media. “The majority of the country’s population, including Dalits, OBCs, tribal communities, and minorities, are not represented in the country’s narrative and power structure,” he added.
Gandhi also highlighted the absence of senior media personnel from these communities, stating, “There are no senior anchors, influencers, media owners, or managers from these communities.”
