Lucknow: Launchinga 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.