Even as Maharashtra remains divided over the demand to remove Mughal emperor Aurangzeb’s tomb in Khuldabad, a fresh controversy has erupted in the north. Samajwadi Party (SP) Rajya Sabha MP Ramji Lal Suman has sparked outrage after calling the revered Rajput ruler Rana Sanga a “traitor” during a speech in Parliament on March 21.
Suman, while discussing historical narratives, stated, “Indian Muslims do not consider Babur their idol. They follow Prophet Muhammad and the Sufi tradition. But who brought Babur here? It was Rana Sanga who invited him to defeat Ibrahim Lodi. So, if Muslims are called Babur’s descendants, then Hindus must be the descendants of traitor Rana Sanga. We criticise Babur, but why not Rana Sanga?”
The remarks, seen as an attempt to equate a revered warrior with treachery, drew sharp criticism from groups, including the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and the Karni Sena. BJP leader and Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat condemned the statement, calling it the opinion of a person with a “trivial intellect” and a “small heart.”
With outrage mounting, Suman’s comments have added to the growing tensions over historical figures and their legacies in Indian politics.
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