New Delhi, March 14 (IANS) A political controversy erupted on Saturday over remarks by Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Kanshi Ram, also known as Bahujan Nayak, with leaders from the Samajwadi Party (SP), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress exchanging sharp reactions.

Notably, Gandhi said on Friday that if former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru were alive today, Bahujan leader Kanshi Ram would have been the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh.

The Congress leader made the remarks while addressing a programme organised in Lucknow on the occasion of Kanshi Ram’s birth anniversary.

Reacting to Gandhi’s remarks, Samajwadi Party MP Virendra Singh said Kanshi Ram’s contributions should not be viewed through a partisan lens.

“Do not divide Kanshi Ramji’s contributions in terms of political parties. Kanshi Ram gave strength to the marginalised communities and inspired them to fight for the rights guaranteed to them in the Constitution. He guided society to move beyond inequality and achieve equality, which is why the marginalised communities regard him as their mentor. His legacy cannot be forgotten,” Singh told IANS.

SP spokesperson Ashutosh Verma said the origins of regional parties like the Bahujan Samaj Party and Samajwadi Party were linked to the political circumstances created during Congress rule.

“If Congress leaders understand where the BSP and SP originated, they will find the answers to these questions. Because of the flawed policies of the Congress, parties like the BSP and SP came into existence,” Verma said.

He added that when people with a caste-hierarchy mindset within the Congress sidelined backward classes, Dalits and minorities, leaders like Kanshi Ram and Mulayam Singh Yadav stepped forward to represent those sections of society.

Meanwhile, BJP leaders also criticised Gandhi’s remarks. BJP MLA Raj Sinha said there was no need to pay attention to what Rahul says.

“If he were there, this would have happened — all this is nonsense talk. This can only be Rahul Gandhi’s thinking,” Sinha remarked.

BJP MP Manan Kumar Mishra also took a swipe at the Congress leader, saying that statements made without thought do not hold much significance.

Amid the criticism, Congress defended Gandhi’s statement. Party spokesperson Surendra Rajput said Gandhi had acknowledged Kanshi Ram’s stature.

“Rahul Gandhi clearly said that if Kanshi Ram had been around in Jawaharlal Nehru’s time, he would have been the Chief Minister of some state,” Rajput told IANS.

Responding to a post by BSP chief Mayawati on X, Rajput also criticised her.

“Mayawati is worried because the Bahujan mission is not falling into her trap. Mayawati, who sold the Bahujan mission, should not advise the Congress party today, especially not the kind of knowledge she is acquiring from WhatsApp University while being in the company of the BJP,” he said.

The exchange of remarks has intensified the political debate around Kanshi Ram’s legacy and the role of different parties in representing marginalised communities.

–IANS

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