On Saturday, Om Prakash Rajbhar, Uttar Pradesh’s Panchayati Raj Minister and leader of the Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party (SBSP), made controversial remarks claiming that Lord Hanuman was born in the Rajbhar caste.
Rajbhar, an ally of the BJP, addressed a public gathering and said, “Hanuman ji was born in Rajbhar caste. When (demon) Ahiravan took Ram ji and Laxman ji to Patal Puri, no one had the courage to bring them back. Only Hanuman ji, born in the Rajbhar caste, had the courage to do it. Hanuman ji brought Ram and Laxman ji out of Patal Puri.”
His comments came after a ‘bhoomi pujan’ ceremony for the construction of a statue of Maharaja Suheldev in Vasudeva village, Ballia.
Rajbhar also targeted opposition parties, specifically the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Congress, for their sudden support for Dr. B.R. Ambedkar. He accused the Samajwadi Party of showing disrespect for Ambedkar’s legacy before 2012, recalling that the party had once announced plans to demolish Ambedkar Park in Lucknow if they came to power. He also criticized the Congress, claiming that despite their current praise for Ambedkar, they had imposed the Emergency and jailed numerous leaders and journalists.
Rajbhar further stated, “The Congress, which talks about the Constitution now, has put lakhs of leaders and journalists in jail by imposing Emergency.” He also accused the Samajwadi Party of ruining the lives of many people and reversing development schemes made in Ambedkar’s name.
