Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday dismissed the criticism of his party’s Rajya Sabha MP Ramji Lal Suman and defended his controversial remark calling Rajput warrior king Rana Sanga a ‘traitor’, by countering that if BJP leaders can revisit history to discuss Aurangzeb, then he has also just mentioned a page from history.
Yadav said that if BJP leaders can revisit history to discuss figures like Aurangzeb, then Suman’s remarks should also be seen as part of historical debate.

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In his speech in Parliament, Suman had said, “Indian Muslims do not consider Babur as their idol. They follow Prophet Muhammad and the Sufi tradition. But I want to ask, who brought Babur here? It was Rana Sanga who invited Babur to defeat Ibrahim Lodi.”

“So, if Muslims are called the descendants of Babur, then Hindus must be the descendants of traitor Rana Sanga. We criticise Babur, but why don’t we criticise Rana Sanga?,” the Samajwadi Party chief added.
Rana Sanga was the ruler of Mewar from 1508 to 1528.

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“Everyone is flipping through the pages of history. Ask BJP leaders which pages they are turning. What are they debating? They want to talk about Aurangzeb,” said Akhilesh after paying tribute to socialist leader Ram Manohar Lohia on his birth anniversary, as quoted by PTI.
“If Ramjilal Suman ji has referred to a page in history that contains certain facts, then what’s the issue? We didn’t write history 200 years ago,” the SP chief added.
“If BJP continues to flip through history, people will also remember that during Chhatrapati Shivaji’s coronation, no one anointed him by hand. It is said that he was anointed using the toe of a left foot. Will the BJP condemn this today?” he said.

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Drawing an analogy, Yadav referred to Galileo’s persecution for his claim that the Earth revolves around the Sun.
“Galileo was punished for his scientific assertion, and centuries later, the Church apologised for its mistake. If the BJP respects Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, will they apologise for the fact that he was anointed with a left foot toe?” he said.

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BJP slams Akhilesh for his remark, terms it ‘insult to Hindus’

BJP leaders accused the Samajwadi Party of fostering an “anti-Hindu” mindset.
BJP leader Amit Malviya said, “Yadav, who indulges in appeasement, is supporting his MP Ramji Lal for calling the great warrior Rana Sanga a traitor. This is an insult not only to the Rajput community but to the entire Hindu community.”

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“The distorted comments made on the Maha Kumbh were also no exception but are an indication of the petty anti-Hindu mentality of the SP, due to which the people of Uttar Pradesh have pushed the SP to the lowest rung of the state’s politics,” he added.
On Sunday, the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) also criticised Suman, calling his comments “shameful”and demanding an apology.

(With inputs from agencies)