Subhechcha Ganguly 
Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday defended his party’s Rajya Sabha MP Ramji Lal Suman over his controversial remarks on 16th-century Rajput warrior king Rana Sanga. Suman had stirred controversy by calling Rana Sanga a “traitor” in Parliament while discussing history. He stated that Rana Sanga had invited Mughal emperor Babur to India to defeat Ibrahim Lodi, questioning why Hindus did not criticize Rana Sanga if Muslims were labeled as descendants of Babur. His remarks triggered a political debate, with the BJP strongly opposing the statement. Responding to the controversy, Yadav argued that history was being revisited selectively, saying, “If BJP leaders can discuss Aurangzeb, why can’t we mention another page from history?”
Akhilesh Yadav further challenged the BJP, citing an incident related to Chhatrapati Shivaji’s coronation. He claimed that during Shivaji’s crowning, no one anointed him by hand but instead used the toe of a left foot, questioning whether the BJP would condemn this historical fact. The SP chief also asserted that history was not written by present-day politicians and accused the BJP of selectively using historical narratives for political gains. The remarks have intensified the ongoing debate on historical figures and their portrayal in contemporary politics.
