Samajwadi Party (SP) MP from Rajya Sabha, Ramji Lal Suman, called Rajput king Rana Sanga a ‘traitor’, igniting a political storm and drawing strong criticism from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). During a discussion on the Home Ministry in the Rajya Sabha on Friday, Suman, a former Union minister, referred to the 16th-century Rajput ruler as a “traitor”.
Suman made the controversial statement while countering the BJP’s frequent comments about the historical lineage of Indian Muslims. The SP leader also claimed that his statement was based on historical facts as documented in ‘Baburnama’, the memoir of Mughal emperor Babur, and added that Muslims in India do not consider Babur as their leader. The remarks of the Rajya Sabha MP have sparked sharp criticism from several political quarters.

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“BJP leaders often claim that Muslims have the DNA of Babur. But Indian Muslims do not consider Babur their ideal. In fact, who brought Babur to India? It was Rana Sanga who invited him to defeat Ibrahim Lodi. By that logic, if you claim Muslims are the descendants of Babur, then you are also the descendants of Rana Sanga—a traitor. We criticise Babur, but not Rana Sanga,” the SP MP had remarked.

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The controversial comment triggered a sharp backlash from the BJP, with former MP Sanjeev Balyan condemning it as an insult to Rajputs. “Shame on you-crossing all limits of appeasement. Calling the great warrior Rana Sanga a traitor in Parliament is a grave insult to the Rajput community and the entire Hindu society,” Balyan wrote on social media, sharing a video clip of Suman’s speech.
He also demanded that the Samajwadi Party apologise to the nation.

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BJP MP Manoj Tiwari linked Suman’s remarks to a broader attempt to glorify controversial historical figures. “Some people are trying to make Aurangzeb a hero. Such people should be identified. He was an enemy of the country. We have never said that Muslims are the descendants of Babur. The Muslims of this country are ours,” he said.
BJP MP PP Chaudhary called Suman’s comments “unacceptable”. He said, “The Samajwadi Party MP’s comment on Mewar’s brave warrior has insulted our history. Such words in the sacred temple of democracy are highly condemnable and unacceptable.”

Rana Sanga fought against Babur: Rajput king’s heir

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In a strong rebuttal, Vishvaraj Singh Mewar, a descendant of Rana Sanga and Rajasthan BJP MLA, refuted Samajwadi Party MP Ramji Lal Suman’s claim that the Rajput king invited Babur to India, and called the statement factually incorrect.
“I have seen the recording of what the Samajwadi Party MP said,” Mewar told India Today. “It is factually incorrect to say that Babur was invited to India by Rana Sanga. Rana Sanga, in fact, fought against Babur,” he said.

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Rana Sanga, from the Sisodia dynasty, ruled Mewar from 1508 to 1528 and is known for uniting Rajput clans to resist the expansion of the Delhi Sultanate. His rule extended across Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Madhya Pradesh, with Chittor as his capital. 

(With inputs from agencies)