Kiren Rijiju calls Hemant Soren ‘spoiled son’, says tribals have no licence to loot

As Hemant Soren’s arrest late on Wednesday following hours-long interrogation by the ED became an issue of tribal oppression, Union minister Kiren Rijiju said tribals don’t have the licence to loot people’s money.

Hemant Soren posted a message on his X account and released a video ahead of his arrest in which he said he won’t cower as he is Shibu Soren’s son. The arrest is only a break in the great battle that life is, Hemant Soren said. Kiren Rijuju countered and said this does not suit Shibu Soren’s spoiled son Hemant.

“If Shibu Soren ji says this dialogue, then I can accept it, but this dialogue does not suit a spoiled son. Anyway, tribals do not have the licence to loot public money,” Rijiju wrote adding that he comes from a more backward area.

Hemant Soren arrest: Here are the top 10 updates

1. After hours of interrogation at his residence on Wednesday, Hemant Soren was taken into custody by the ED in a land scam case.

2. Before his arrest, Hemant Soren resigned from the chief minister’s post and his loyalist Champai Soren staked a claim to form the government. All MLAs of the coalition government supported Champai Soren — a seven-time MLA and a minister.

3. In a video recorded before his arrest, Hemant Soren said it is now time to wage war against the feudal system that oppressed the poor, tribal and Dalit.

4. On Wednesday night, Hemant Soren moved the Jharkhand high court against the arrest. His petition is to be heard by the bench of Acting Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar and Justice Anubha Rawat Choudhary at 10.30am on Thursday.

5. Several tribal outfits gave a call for Jharkhand bandh on Thursday. Kendriya Sarna Samiti president Ajay Tirkey said 15-20 tribal organisations from across the state will join the shutdown.

6. During the interrogation on Wednesday, Hemant lodged an FIR against the ED personnel against the ED search at his Delhi residence on Monday. (January 28). “My family members and I have suffered and experienced immense mental, psychological and emotional harm because of the acts committed…,” Soren said in the FIR.

7. On Monday, ED officials reached Hemant Soren’s Delhi residence and seized two BMW cars and ₹36 lakh. Hemant Soren was not there but he was in and around Delhi.

8. The BJP declared Hemant Soren fugitive as the Jharkhand chief minister was neither in Delhi nor in Jharkhand for around 30 hours.

9. Hemant Soren travelled from Delhi to Ranchi by car apparently to evade arrest. He agreed to appear before the ED on January 31 while Jharkhand Mukti Morcha prepared all contingency plans in case of his arrest.

10. Speculations were rife that Hemant Soren’s wife Kalpana Soren would be installed in the CM’s post after Heman’s arrest. But there was no unanimous support for Kalpana who is not an MLA.