Friday, 16 May 2025
Friday, 16 May 2025
After Madhya Pradesh BJP minister Vijay Shah recently triggered a political firestorm with his controversial comments on Colonel Sofia Qureshi, a Samajwadi Party MP has ended up toeing a similar line.
At a party meet in Moradabad on Thursday, Rajya Sabha MP Ram Gopal Yadav had a 'casteist' remark for Wing Commander Vyomika Singh. He said, "They didn’t even know who Vyomika Singh was or what her caste is, nor did they know about Air Marshal A.K. Bharti. Otherwise, they would’ve hurled abuses at them too. Let me tell you — Vyomika Singh is a ‘Jatav Chamar’ from Haryana, and Air Marshal A.K. Bharti is a Yadav from Purnia. All three were from the PDA segment. One was abused because they thought she was Muslim, one was thought to be Rajput, so nothing was said, and about the other, they have no information."
Yadav later defended his comments on Friday saying, "In some states of North India, particularly Uttar Pradesh, where false cases are being filed against people on the basis of religion, caste and class, I had said in a programme yesterday that Colonel Sofia was abused because she was identified by her religion. If these abusers had come to know that Vyomika Singh is Jatav and Air Marshal Avadhesh Bharti is Yadav, then they would not have refrained from abusing these officers also."
The Samajwadi Party MP's remarks have ignited a political avalanche. Within hours, Opposition leaders took turns slamming the remarks.
Yogi Adityanath
The BJP was quick to seize the moment. Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath called Yadav’s words divisive.
"The uniform of the army is not seen through a casteist lens. Every soldier of the Indian army performs national duty and is not a representative of any caste or religion. Samajwadi Party's national general secretary's act of putting a brave daughter within the ambit of caste is not only a display of his party's narrow-mindedness but also a grave insult to the valour of the army and the country's identity. This is the same mentality which dares to divide even patriotism in the name of appeasement and vote bank politics," Adityanath said.
Brajesh Pathak
UP deputy CM Brajesh Pathak said the insult wasn’t just personal — it was national.
"Disrespect to Wing Commander Vyomika Singh is not just to her but to the entire nation. Wing Commander Vyomika Singh is not just a name but a symbol of India's pride and women's empowerment. The Samajwadi Party has displayed its low mentality and anti-woman thoughts by disrespecting her based on her caste. Ram Gopal Yadav's statement is shameful and condemnable. This is new India. Here, people are known by their work, not their birth. The Samajwadi Party has always tried to divide the society on the basis of caste," Pathak said.
Mayawati
BSP chief Mayawati linked Yadav’s words with Shah’s.
"The entire country is united and proud of the valor of Operation Sindoor of the Indian Army against the terrorists in Pakistan. In such a situation, it is extremely unfair to judge/divide the army on the basis of religion and caste. The mistake that the BJP minister made in this regard, the same senior SP leader has also made today, which is shameful and condemnable," Mayawati said.
Hari Manjhi
Former BJP MP Hari Manjhi called it unforgivable.
"Shameful and unforgivable. Ram Gopal Yadav's use of casteist words is not only derogatory but also exposes the deep caste mentality prevalent in public life. The silence of the 'secular' sections is also worrying. Will there be accountability now, or will casteism also be viewed through a political lens?" Manjhi asked.
Praveen Khandelwal
BJP MP Praveen Khandelwal added: "His statement if unfortunate, those who are dividing our army into different categories have absolutely no understanding of its values. I believe this is a kind of mental bankruptcy."
Pradeep Bhandri
BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandri demanded action.
"When is Samajwadi Party sacking Ramgopal Yadav for his casteist statement on Wing Commander Vyomika Singh?" Bhandari asked.
Salman Khurshid
Congress leader Salman Khurshid was clear in his condemnation.
"I don’t want any distractions on this matter. We have saluted all our armed forces involved in ‘Operation Sindoor’ and we are immensely proud of them. Any attempt to cast doubt on their actions is completely unacceptable to us," Khurshid said.
ST Hasan
SP leader ST Hasan defended Yadav, yet dismissed the use of caste terms entirely.
"No word indicating any caste has been used. 'Jatav' is not a word indicating any caste. PDA does everything in the country. While the BJP takes all credit for work done by others and also does not reward them. Till when will you neglect the PDA?"
