Etawah: The assembly elections in UP are still 18 months away, but the electoral chessboard has already started being laid out. The political temperature of the state has not risen gradually but suddenly. The BJP and the Samajwadi Party are face to face, but this time not just over speeches and promises—a fight has broken out on the ground over a new strategy of caste and cultural polarisation. Incidents are happening one after the other. Disputes are emerging, old wounds are being reopened, and in between, some new pawns are also emerging—the two most famous names of which have emerged recently are ‘Ahir Regiment’ and ‘Brahmin Mahasabha’. These incidents are somehow linked to the old violent movements of Karni Sena.
Senior journalist Manoj Tibrewal Aakash said in his show ‘The MTA Speaks’, this controversy started when a Bhagwat Katha was organised in Dandarpur village of Etawah district, in which two narrators were allegedly beaten up. One of these narrators had objected to the comments being made on caste identity. This incident quickly escalated. Videos went viral on social media and the matter started taking a political turn. A group named ‘Ahir Regiment’ became active under the leadership of Gagan Yadav, which calls itself the protector of the self-respect of the Yadav community. This organisation, along with organisations like Yadav Mahasabha, started protesting against the narrators.
On the other hand, the ‘Brahmin Mahasabha’ alleged that violence was done with the storytellers because of their caste identity, and it is an insult to the entire Brahmin community. Meanwhile, a group started a demonstration in Etawah; the police lathicharged, air firing was done and many people were detained. During this, the workers of ‘Ahir Regiment’ were also seen attacking the local administration and police. Now let us tell you who Gagan Yadav is? Gagan Yadav, a resident of Meerut, calls himself a social worker. He is the president of an organisation called ‘Indian Reformers’ and has been agitating for a long time, demanding the formation of the ‘Ahir Regiment’ in the army. However, he is also accused of being politically inclined towards BJP. His photos with BJP leaders have gone viral on social media. But Gagan Yadav has denied these allegations and said that he is not associated with any political party.
Road Widening
One special thing that came to light here is that both BJP and SP are playing their own tricks on this issue. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath attacked the opposition by calling it caste violence, while Akhilesh Yadav called it ‘PDA’ i.e. government-sponsored discrimination against backward, Dalit and deprived classes. It is clear from the statements of both the parties on this issue that the issue of caste politics will gain further momentum in the future. Now let us tell you about the incident of Gorakhpur two days ago, which created another big controversy in the politics of Uttar Pradesh. Road widening is being done in the name of the Heritage Corridor Project in the densely populated area of Alinagar located in the heart of Gorakhpur city.
No Compensation For Land
Local citizens say that despite Adityanath being the MLA of the city, the residents of Gorakhpur are not being given compensation for the land and without compensation the government is bent on forcibly demolishing shops and houses. In the name of formality, money is being given to demolish the building construction, but that too is like a drop in the ocean. The affected citizens have been protesting against this for many days. Leader of Opposition Mata Prasad Pandey had reached Gorakhpur to meet these victims. Former minister, local MLA and party spokesperson were also included in this delegation. But when this delegation reached to inspect the corridor, the BJP workers already present there blocked their way with bulldozers and JCBs.
Karni Sena Controversy
BJP leaders said that this is the government’s achievement and the opposition has no right to see it. SP leaders protested against this, and soon both sides started pushing, shouting slogans and fighting. Vehicles were broken, police intervened, and for some time the entire area turned into a cantonment. Amidst the Etawah Katha incident, people are discussing the Karni Sena controversy that happened last year. This matter heated up when Karni Sena workers started violent protests across the country just before the Lok Sabha elections. The reason was Karni Sena’s displeasure over the film ‘Padmaavat’ and some political statements. Karni Sena took to the streets and demonstrated in many cities of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. In Jaipur, during a press conference, the spokesperson of Karni Sena took out a sword in a TV debate. In Agra, the police had to lathi-charge the workers of Karni Sena.
Election Strategy
The demands of Karni Sena were related to the accuracy of historical facts and protection of Rajput pride, but these demonstrations challenged law and order many times. During the Lok Sabha elections in UP, Karni Sena workers closed the highways, burnt effigies and, at many places, damaged government property in Agra, Aligarh and Varanasi.
The Karni Sena also complained to the Human Rights Commission about the action taken by the police and alleged that the Rajput community was being deliberately targeted. On the other hand, the BJP was seen on the back foot in this matter because its traditional Kshatriya vote bank was affected by the actions of the Karni Sena. The people of the Karni Sena attacked the house of SP’s Dalil MP Ramji Lal Suman and created a lot of ruckus. This matter remained in the caste-related headlines for a long time. Looking at these three incidents together, it is clear that the political front on caste and cultural identity has intensified in Uttar Pradesh. Social organisations like ‘Ahir Regiment’ and ‘Brahmin Mahasabha’, cultural organisations like Karni Sena, and amidst all this, the political manoeuvring of the government and the opposition has now become an important part of the election strategy. While the BJP is calling Hindutva and development its strength, the Samajwadi is trying to reach the public by uniting the PDA against the injustice being done to the backward, Dalits, deprived, and minorities under the protection of the government.
Campaign To Garner Votes
All these developments show that in the coming days, issues like development, law and order, corruption, and unemployment will not be the issues in Uttar Pradesh, but identity politics – be it caste or religion – will emerge as the biggest narrative. And this is what we are telling our viewers on ‘The MTA Speaks’ with facts and evidence that politics has now turned into a campaign to garner votes by drawing emotional lines, where real issues are being marginalised and fake conflicts are creating new leaders. The public will have to be alert, because this is not the time to just watch but to understand who really stands with whom.