In the the wake of controversial remarks made by Samajwadi Party (SP) MP Ramji Lal Suman about 16th-century Rajput king Rana Sanga, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) Chief Mayawati has condemned the SP for its “dirty politics” and added that it is wrong to insult any community for the sake of political gains.
In a post on Thursday on social media platform X, she wrote, “The dirty politics that SP is doing by putting forward its Dalit leaders for its political gains, that is, it is trying to harm them, is not right. Dalits should be cautious of all their tactics. The incident that happened in Agra is very worrying.”
“It is not right for SP to demean any community to serve its own interests. They create a negative image of one community while favouring another. This behaviour will disrupt the peace and harmony in society, which is not acceptable,” she added on X.
Mayawati’s remarks came after Samajwadi Party MP Ramji Lal Suman sparked controversy with his statement on Rana Sanga, a 16th-century Rajput king, calling him a “traitor” for allegedly bringing Babur, the founder of the Mughal dynasty, to defeat Ibrahim Lodi.
Following SP leader Suman’s statement, violence erupted at his residence in Agra on Wednesday as unidentified individuals resorted to stone-pelting, smashing window panes, and vandalising vehicles parked outside.
Agra Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Sanjeev Tyagi said that the people resorted to pelting stones, breaking window panes and vandalising vehicles parked outside of the MP’s house, following Ramji Lal Suman’s statement.
“Some people belonging to Karni Sena got angry after a statement of Samajwadi Party MP Ramji Lal Suman. They went to his residence, pelted stones and broke glasses. Several people have been taken into custody. The entire incident is being investigated. Some police officials were also injured in the incident,” ACP Tyagi added.
Rana Sanga, also known as Sangram Singh I, was the ruler of Mewar from 1508 to 1528 and is revered for his bravery and sacrifices.
Suman’s statement has been widely criticised, with many calling for an apology and action against him.
Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav alleged that Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who was also in the district during the attack, gave consent for this attack.
Akhilesh Yadav said, “The incident with Ramji Lal Suman is sad and should be condemned. Ramji Lal Suman is a Dalit MP and has a lot of experience and his residence was attacked when the Chief Minister himself was in the district. This attack took place with the consent of the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh.”
