Issuing an emotional appeal to the Rajbhar community to support the Bharatiya Janata Party in the coming lok Sabha elections, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that people would have to take a call whether they wanted to follow the ideals of Raja Suheldeo or Mohammad Tughlaq.
"When one talks about Rajbhar, Raja Suheldeo is the first name that comes to mind. But it is unfortunate that he has not got the place in Indian history that he deserves. For the first time, BJP president Amit Shah unveiled the statue of Raja Suheldeo in Chittora and now this Government will install a statue of this brave king," Yogi said while addressing a Pichhada Varg (backward class) Sammelan of BJP in lucknow on Wednesday.
Yogi said that there were some people who had used this community as a vote bank. "They did nothing to bring the community into the mainstream. At some places, they were pushed to Naxalism and were asked to speak against Hindu gods. This community should stay away from such people," Yogi said.
The Chief Minister's passionate appeal came after Suheldeo Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) chief and Cabinet minister Om Prakash Rajbhar unfurled a banner of revolt in recent times. The SBSP leader has declared that the Rajbhar samaj would take a call in October whether to support BJP in the coming election or not.
The SBSP is an ally of the BJP and had contested the last Assembly poll together. It has four MlAs and two of them are ministers in the State Government.
"Prime Minister Narendra Modi has honoured the people from backward class by setting up a Backward Class Commission. The community should now help Modi in retaining power so that he is able to implement policies for welfare of the deprived sections of society," the Chief Minister said.
About achievements of his government, Yogi said that in the last year-and-a-half, his government had constructed over four lakh houses for the poor while the previous Akhilesh government had constructed only one lakh houses in five years.
"Besides, over 46 lakh people have been provided electricity connection free of cost," he added.
Speaking on the occasion, Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya said, "Modi Roko competition is underway nowadays. Parties like Congress, Bahujan Samaj Party, Samajwadi Party and Rashtriya lok Dal have joined hands to stop Modi. These parties did not do anything when in power. Now that Modi is bringing smiles on the faces of the poor by giving free lPG connections or introducing Ayushman Health Service for the poor, they are disturbed," Maurya said.
Incidentally, the organisers ignored SBSP chief Om Prakash Rajbhar but invited party's general secretary Anil Rajbhar. In his speech, Anil Rajbhar demanded that a statue of Raja Suheldeo be installed by the government.
BJP state president Mahendra Nath Pandey also spoke on the occasion.