- Tuesday, February 25, 2025
Anirudh Kejriwal reportedly faced discrimination when he planned to buy a house in Gandhinagar, the capital of one of India’s most progressive states, after shifting from Mumbai.
By: Shubham Ghosh
INSPIRED by prime minister Narendra Modi’s vision to make India a frontline power in the world and Gujarat International Finance Tec-City or GIFT City that promises international facilities for business, a top-placed officer of JPMorgan chose to settle in the western Indian state of Gujarat, which is the home state of the PM, over Singapore.
But he allegedly ended up facing caste discrimination while planning to buy a house and it was enough to break his heart. He said he was facing ‘unexpected challenges’ because he ‘wasn’t born Gujarati’.
Anirudh Kejriwal, a vice president at JPMorgan, a giant in international financial services, came up with his traumatic experience on social media X where he also tagged the state’s police, its ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, chief minister and various other stakeholders.
Read: Citi hires Asian origin banking head from JPMorgan
“Shocked to face blatant caste discrimination in Sant Vihar 1 Society, Gandhinagar, Gujarat. My attempt to buy a flat turned into a nightmare as society’s management is barring my entry due to caste,” he said in one of his several posts on X related to the matter which he pinned.
Read: Modi hits out after opponent-ruled Bihar releases caste census: ‘Trying to divide country’
Shocked to face blatant caste discrimination in Sant Vihar 1 Society, Gandhinagar, Gujarat. My attempt to buy a flat turned into a nightmare as society's management is barring my entry due to caste. #Gandhinagar #Gujarat #CasteDiscrimination @GujaratPolice @CMOGuj…
— Anirudh Kejriwal (@AnirudhKejriwal) February 24, 2024
In another lengthy post, he said, “After living in Mumbai for years, I decided to move to Gujarat, choosing it over an opportunity in Singapore. I was captivated by the promise of GIFT City and the grand vision our PM and government laid out for us. It inspired me so much that I took a big step and decided to buy my first house here, dreaming of a future filled with hope and growth. But, my excitement has turned to heartbreak. I’m facing unexpected challenges with my dream home, barred from moving in, not because of anything I’ve done, but because I wasn’t born Gujarati.
After living in Mumbai for years, I decided to move to Gujarat, choosing it over an opportunity in Singapore. I was captivated by the promise of GIFT City and the grand vision our PM and government laid out for us. It inspired me so much that I took a big step and decided to buy… https://t.co/3HNmc9BiWN
— Anirudh Kejriwal (@AnirudhKejriwal) February 25, 2024
“Worse yet, I’m warned that even if I manage to get in, happiness will be out of reach, and troubles will follow. It’s a bitter pill to swallow. Choosing Gujarat, leaving behind my life in Mumbai and the chance to move to Singapore, I never thought I’d face such discrimination. This experience has been nothing short of a nightmare. The pain of facing such open casteism, in a place I chose with hope, is indescribable.
Kejriwal added in another post, “It’s deeply disheartening to face such blatant caste discrimination in Gujarat’s capital, a state that should lead by example for India’s progress. What’s more shocking is that this discrimination persists irrespective of one’s background, affecting even those not considered a minority or belonging to scheduled castes. This incident isn’t just a personal setback; it’s a stark reminder of the societal barriers that still exist. It challenges the vision of an inclusive and progressive India we all strive for.”
It’s deeply disheartening to face such blatant caste discrimination in Gujarat's capital, a state that should lead by example for India's progress. What's more shocking is that this discrimination persists irrespective of one's background, affecting even those not considered a… https://t.co/3jfOvyQjJW
— Anirudh Kejriwal (@AnirudhKejriwal) February 25, 2024
Speaking about his plan to buy a flat, Kejriwal said he paid a significant amount of advance money but the seller evaded on giving him a no-objection certificate. “Little did I know, the real issue lay deeper,” he wrote on X.
After paying a significant advance, planning was underway to finalize the sale deed. But the seller’s evasion on providing the NOC from the society was the first red flag. Little did I know, the real issue lay deeper.
— Anirudh Kejriwal (@AnirudhKejriwal) February 24, 2024
“My concerns were confirmed when the society’s chairman and management openly stated their refusal to allow people from ‘other’ castes to move in. In the heart of Gujarat, this open discrimination left me in disbelief,” he said in another post.
My concerns were confirmed when the society’s chairman and management openly stated their refusal to allow people from ‘other’ castes to move in. In the heart of Gujarat, this open discrimination left me in disbelief.
— Anirudh Kejriwal (@AnirudhKejriwal) February 24, 2024
“The situation escalated quickly with nearly 30 people gathering, threatening me with dire consequences if I proceeded. They demanded proofs of ancestry and caste, to which, under pressure, I complied, hoping for a resolution,” said another X post from the JPMorgan official.
He added, “All my preparations, from financial investments to personal arrangements, are now in jeopardy due to this discrimination. The vision of an inclusive India feels tarnished in the very state leading India’s development narrative.”
Kejriwal said he was left with no option but to seek legal recourse to reclaim his rights and investment. He also questioned the societal norms and the real progress India has made towards eradicating caste discrimination.
I am left with no option but to seek legal recourse to reclaim my rights and investment. But this incident raises a bigger question about societal norms and the real progress we have made towards eradicating caste discrimination.
— Anirudh Kejriwal (@AnirudhKejriwal) February 24, 2024
Reactions poured in from netizens to Kejriwal’s story with most supporting and sympathising with him. Some of them said that his allegations were not surprising saying that such thinking is rampant in the state despite its claims to modernity and progress.
One said it remained the ‘sad realities’ of staying in Gujarat.
However, there were also a few who did not show solidarity with Kejriwal and said he was living in a ‘fake bubble of privilege’ and was unaware of the situation that 80 per cent of Indians face in reality.
