With caste dominating the politics of Uttar Pradesh, the Samajwadi Party (SP)-Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) alliance is leaving no stone unturned to raise the controversy over the removal of the Gurjar prefix from the plaque of the ninth-century king, Emperor Mihir Bhoj. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath as fresh gunpowder against the BJP last year.
Though leaders of Gujjar and Rajput communities have settled the issue, the SP-RLD alliance in Jewar assembly constituency of Gautam Buddha Nagar is planning to capitalize on the incident in this assembly election. BJP leader Avtar Singh Bhadana, who joined the RLD a few days ago, has threatened the BJP with a “vote loss” over the issue.
“The removal of Gurjar from the name of Emperor Mihir Bhoj was not accidental. Our community (Gujars) was insulted. You have destroyed our identity in the society. I have the responsibility to represent the Gujjar community. CM Yogi was present on the stage. Vote ki choot kar ke vengeance (with votes we will hurt them). The BJP will have to pay a heavy price in this election for the 700 farmers killed during the protest against the three agricultural laws and insulting our community.
On September 22, 2021, CM Yogi Adityanath unveiled a 12 feet statue of Emperor Mihir Bhoj at a college in Dadri. Prior to the incident an attempt was made to remove Gurjar as a prefix from the plaque as Rajputs also laid claim to the king. However, later, both the communities held a joint briefing and settled the contentious issue.
Though the statue was unveiled from Dadri assembly constituency, the queue started from Jewar. According to sources, the controversy started with the Karni Sena raising the issue of Bhoj being Rajput in his jewellery. The opposition alleged that the Shiv Sena has the support of Jewar MLA Dhirendra Singh.
Singh, the BJP candidate from Jewar, said the Yogi Adityanath government’s pitch of development, extended to all with the motto of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’, has irked the opposition.
“Many people of SP are trying to take advantage of this incident. Lord Ram and Mihir Bhoj are ‘worshiped’ for all of us. We are educated people and we know that these sentiments are exploited for political purposes. These people who have divided this society will be disappointed when the results of NCR elections are out.
He further said that the opposition cannot compete with better law and order and development in the state, so it fears to lose as people remember their tenure full of loot, rape, theft and scams. However, he says caste politics cannot be ruled out.
“Those who do not have issues make caste and religion their weapon. They use appeasement to divide the society. We have central schemes and everyone has benefited irrespective of caste and politics. But we cannot deny caste politics,” said Singh who hails from the Rajput community.
In a constituency where the votes of both the communities are equal, it becomes imperative for the BJP to address the issue. There are 50,000 Rajputs and an equal number of Gurjars and Muslims in the assembly. BJP’s Dhirendra Singh believes that the development will drown the caste politics being created by the SP-RLD alliance. He also said that he got 14,000 votes from Muslims last year and expects more this time. There are around 60,000 Dalit and 20,000 Jat voters in the constituency.
Farmers’ protest still a burning issue
Voters in Jewar assembly constituency say they believe there is a fight between the BJP and the SP-RLD alliance. Singh of the BJP says that he is a “true farmer leader” as his politics began from Bhatta Parsaul near Greater Noida, in May 2011 to protest farmers over land acquisition, while Bhadana, a businessman, says that He had quit the BJP over three controversial agriculture laws. And it has the support of farmer unions and leaders.
“Due to electoral compulsions, three agricultural laws were withdrawn. Around 700 farmers were killed in the ‘movement’ against the three agricultural laws. I was hurt by the farmers’ agitation and the government’s apathy towards them. I left the party because of it,” Bhadana said.
Responding to his allegations, Singh listed the number of projects that his constituency has received from the Yogi government. “This election is about Yogi Adityanath’s law and order and investment in the state. The ‘gundas’ and the mafia have been taught their limits. We have upcoming Film City and Fortune 500 companies, which will be the employment base in North India. Unlike the SP regime, where the Yamuna Expressway had witnessed three dozen cases of loot and rape and scams. To prevent water motor theft, farmers used to sleep on the farm itself. Those were the days of SP rule,” explained Singh.
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