New Delhi, March 14 – A political controversy erupted on Saturday over remarks made by Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, about Kanshi Ram, also known as Bahujan Nayak. Leaders from the Samajwadi Party (SP), the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and the Congress exchanged sharp reactions.
Notably, Gandhi had said on Friday that if former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru were alive today, Kanshi Ram would have been the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh.
Gandhi made the remarks while addressing a programme organized in Lucknow to commemorate Kanshi Ram's birth anniversary.
In response to Gandhi's remarks, Samajwadi Party MP Virendra Singh said that Kanshi Ram's contributions should not be viewed through a partisan lens.
"Do not divide Kanshi Ram's contributions based on political parties. Kanshi Ram empowered marginalized 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 marginalized communities regard him as their mentor. His legacy cannot be forgotten," Singh told IANS.
SP spokesperson Ashutosh Verma said that the origins of regional parties like the Bahujan Samaj Party and the 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 flawed policies of the Congress, parties like the BSP and SP came into existence," Verma said.
He added that when people within the Congress with a caste-based mindset 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 that 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 marginalized communities.
