Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday lashed out at Samajwadi Party MP Ram Gopal Yadav for his controversial caste-linked remarks on Wing Commander Vyomika Singh and Air Chief Marshal AP Singh, stating that the armed forces should never be viewed through the lens of caste or religion.
Taking to his official X handle, CM Yogi said:
“The uniform of the Army should not be seen through a casteist lens. Every soldier of the Indian Army performs national duty, not as a representative of any caste or religion.”
He further called the SP leader’s remarks a “grave insult” to the valour of the Indian Army and the identity of the nation. In a pointed attack, Yogi said:
“Samajwadi Party’s national general secretary’s act of putting a brave daughter within the ambit of caste is a display of narrow-mindedness. It reflects the same mentality that dares to divide patriotism for appeasement and vote bank politics.”
Ram Gopal Yadav’s Defence
In response, Ram Gopal Yadav doubled down on his comments, claiming his remarks were being misconstrued. He argued that he was criticising people with a “corrupt mentality” who discriminate based on caste and religion, pointing to past abuses hurled at Colonel Sofiya Qureshi.
“If the people who abused Colonel Sofiya Qureshi had known that Vyomika Singh is a Jatav or that Air Marshal AK Bharti is a Yadav, they would have abused them too,” Yadav said.
He accused CM Yogi of reacting without listening to the full context of his statement and highlighted alleged atrocities against Dalits, minorities, and backward classes in Uttar Pradesh.
“Unimaginable atrocities are being committed on minorities, Dalits, and backward classes in the state. The Chief Minister tweeted without even hearing my statement,” he said.
Yadav also took a swipe at media channels, claiming they were aligned with the ruling BJP:
“Media channels have taken over Islamabad and Rawalpindi. No one except the ruling party trusts them.”
Yadav’s clarification included concerns about encounters, property seizures, and administrative postings allegedly being done based on caste and religion, especially in northern states like Uttar Pradesh.
Context:
This exchange comes amid broader tensions surrounding caste identity in public life and follows the recent backlash over BJP minister Vijay Shah’s remarks against Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, for which the Supreme Court has pulled up the Madhya Pradesh government.