Mayawati has 'strangled social movement': Udit Raj
Lucknow (PTI): Launching a scathing attack on BSP chief Mayawati, former Lok Sabha MP Udit Raj has said that she has "strangled the social movement" and now the time has come to strangle her.
Speaking to reporters in Lucknow on Monday, Raj said, "When during the war in Mahabharat, Arjun asked Lord Krishna how he will kill his cousins and relatives, Lord Krishna said that there are no cousins and relatives. Fight for justice and kill your own people."
"Today, my Krishna has told me that first kill your enemy. And, the enemy of social justice, that Ms Mayawati, who strangled the social movement, now time has come to strangle her," he added.
Responding to questions about his remarks, Raj told PTI on Tuesday, "The movement of the Bahujan community was strangled...crores of cadres, who built the party by staying hungry and thirsty, and a movement, this Bahujan movement was strangled by her (Mayawati)."
"On this, when the media asked me questions, I said that definitely, she too should be strangled politically. What I meant was political death and nothing else," said Raj.
"To twist and tweak the entire thing is not right. Political death or murder of democracy are commonly referred to during political mentions and are taken in that light. Not otherwise," he added.
When quizzed further about a viral video in which he is heard justifying 'galaa ghot dena chahiiye' remark by saying his "Krishna" has ordered him to do so, Raj said, "Former judge of Allahabad High Court Justice Sabhajit Yadav, the patron of Dalit, OBC, Minorities and Adivasi (DOMA) Parisangh, was also present with me. Referring to me he had said 'I have found my Arjuna. In response, I told him he was our 'Krishna'. Justice Yadav had also said that Arjuna was guided by Krishna in fighting for justice even if it meant countering one's own. This was the context of my remark and my Krishna analogy. But it is being tweaked now."
He also told PTI that he would also issue a clarification about the intent of his statement and how it was being misinterpreted by political rivals.
Raj had also said on Monday that the "Muslim community is going through the same phase today as the Dalits were in a bad condition once".
"The Muslim community cannot fight the situation alone. Dalits are also not capable alone. Whenever the Muslim community raises its problem, its outcome is converted into communalism," he added.
"After the 1980s, Kanshiram ji started Bahujan awakening in Uttar Pradesh, which reached its peak in the 2000s. Even though the movement culminated in politics, the thinking and basis has been social justice," said Raj.
"Other political parties start with politics and end with it, but this was not the case with the Bahujan Samaj Party," he added.
Attacking Mayawati, the former Lok Sabha MP said, "Despite Ms. Mayawati's cruelty and incompetence, the workers and voters kept fighting. The houses of the workers were sold, their children could not get education and they were treated cruelly, yet they kept on struggling to bring Bahujan Raj."
"Lakhs of workers who believe in Phule, Shahu, Ambedkar are going through a phase of despair. Some have set up small organizations at their own level but their thinking is not dead," he added.
The former Lok Sabha MP said that on December 1, 2024, the first rally of DOMA Parisangh was held at Delhi's Ramlila Maidan in which the demand to save the Waqf Board was raised.
The former Lok Sabha MP currently heads the Dalit, OBC, Minorities and Adivasi (DOMA) Parisangh.
Urging the Ambedkarites to come together, he said, "The so-called Ambedkarites could not even break the caste system, at least stop casteism and caste organization. Till when will you keep gathering people by speaking against Brahmins, Kshatriyas and Vaishyas. Today's need is to change yourself. Hindus are united by speaking against Muslims and Dalit-backward classes by criticizing upper castes. Stop following this path."
"Lord Gautam Buddha had said - Atta Deepo Bhava. It means that change your own thinking. Dalits and backward classes want the upper castes to change themselves, but they should keep doing casteism among themselves," he added.
Commenting on organisations of the Bahujans, he said, "Till now the organisations of Bahujans formed have been based on individuals and castes. The population is 85 per cent, but do all classes have a share in the organisation from top to bottom? Those running the organisation appoint people of their own caste and their friends to important positions and say that they are doing the welfare of Bahujans."
"In the organizational structure of DOMA Parisangh, it will be mandatory to have four people - one Dalit, one OBC, one Muslim and one Adivasi at every level. Bahujan is not just in name, but will have to be shown by action," he added.
The former Lok Sabha MP further said it has been decided to hold six conferences in Jhansi, Banda, Shravasti, Kanpur, Meerut and Azamgarh in the coming days.
Udit Raj was a Lok Sabha MP between 2014 and 2019, representing North West Delhi as a member of the BJP, but left the party after its first term.
He was the former deputy commissioner, joint commissioner and additional commissioner of Income Tax at New Delhi.
On November 24, 2003, he resigned from government service and formed the Indian Justice Party. He later joined the Congress in 2019. He merged the Indian Justice Party with the BJP in February 2014.
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Marxism will remain relevant despite Left electoral's losses, says general secretary M A Baby
New Delhi (PTI): CPI(M) General Secretary M A Baby on Thursday asserted that the Left movement would remain relevant despite not being in power in any state, saying the ideology would continue to endure as long as social and economic inequalities persist.
Hitting back at BJP leader Rajeev Chandrasekhar over his reported remarks that Marxism had become irrelevant, Baby, in an interview with PTI Videos, said, "So long as there is division in society, so long as there is exploitation of the majority of workers, peasants and ordinary masses by a handful of billionaires, Marxism will remain relevant."
"That perhaps Mr Rajeev Chandrasekhar may not be able to understand, but this is the fact of the matter," he said.
Baby acknowledged that the CPI(M)-led Left was currently without an elected government in any state, but maintained that electoral setbacks would not diminish the movement's role.
"We may not have an elected government in any state. There were occasions when we didn't have a government. But the red flag and the commitment to organise and struggle for the rights of the dispossessed, marginalised and exploited will always be upheld by CPI(M) and the Left movement," he said.
He said the Left continued to enjoy support among workers, peasants, agricultural labourers, youth, students and women, and argued that the movement remained necessary because "oppression and assault" continued in society.
"So long as such problems exist in society, the red flag and the working class movement will continue to work among the masses," the Left leader said.
Exuding confidence on the Left's revival, Baby said the party would reflect on the reasons behind its electoral loss.
"We may be rejected in one election, but we will stage our comeback by understanding what went wrong with us," he said, adding, "We will listen to people and we will come back with higher strength."
Baby also criticised the Congress over reported factional tensions in Kerala after the Congress-led United Democratic Front's victory in the state.
"The way they are behaving is being watched by the people of Kerala," he said, referring to infighting within the Congress.
"Those who have given a massive majority to Congress and UDF would be watching all this," he added, while urging party leaders to "settle the problem in an amicable, democratic manner".
Referring to West Bengal, Baby alleged that violence had escalated following the BJP's victory in the state assembly polls.
"It is quite unfortunate that the moment BJP snatched a massive victory in West Bengal, violence has also started on a big scale," he said.
He also accused the Trinamool Congress of being "notorious for violent activities" and alleged that the "RSS-controlled BJP" had "unleashed violence in many places" after the election results.
"This is not good for Bengal, not good for the country. We wish and hope that normalcy would be restored as soon as possible," he said.
Baby said the CPI(M) and the Left in West Bengal would continue efforts to "pacify people" and avoid violence and confrontation.
Asked about former Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan not reacting publicly to the election results, Baby said Vijayan would respond "at an appropriate time".
