Ahead of the assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party leader OP Rajbhar had called BJP an ‘enemy of the OBCs’. The SBSP leader, who was with the BJP in the 2017 elections, had later joined forces with Akhilesh Yadav.
After the exit of Swami Prasad Maurya and Dara Singh Chauhan, OP Rajbhar had told the media that the BJP will see many more exits in the coming days because the party is ‘an enemy of the OBCs and Dalits’. Rajbhar, who was earlier a minister in the Yogi cabinet, had left the BJP 3 years ago.
Later yesterday, Sushant Sinha of Times Now Navbharat asked Rajbhar to list 10 things that the Samajwadi Party, his new alliance partner, has done for the OBCs and especially non-Yadavs in their years in power, Rajbhar was seen fumbling and making obscure allegations.
यूपी चुनाव के पहले अखिलेश यादव के नए साथी राजभर जी से पूछ लिया कि सिर्फ दस काम गिना दीजिए जो अखिलेश जी ने ओबीसी के लिए किए हों। एक नहीं गिना पाए।
— Sushant Sinha (@SushantBSinha) January 13, 2022
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When Sinha asked Rajbhar to list 10 things that Akhilesh had done for the OBCs, Rajbhar first tried counter-allegations and false claims, saying that the BJP wants to finish reservations for the OBCs. At this point, Sushant Sinha asked even if one assumes that the BJP is anti-OBC, can he (Rajbhar) who had won elections as a BJP leader, can list 10 things that his new partner Akhilesh Yadav has done for the OBCs in Uttar Pradesh. Rajbhar again tried to deflect the question.
Rajbhar said that when he was with Mayawati, he used to ask such questions to her. He claimed that Mayawati called him problematic. Sushant Sinha further told Rajbhar that he was losing elections when he was with Mayawati and the only time he had won an election is when he was with the BJP. Rajbhar claimed that he had said it is upon the leaders of the OBCs and Dalits to fight for their rights.
When Sinha persisted in his question, asking Rajbhar to list ten things Akhilesh has done for OBCs, Rajbhar again fumbled, evading the question. He said that he has not been in a government with Akhilesh yet and when that happens he will give the list.
Sushant Sinha further asked, “when you will go before your community members, they will ask you that you had lost elections with other parties, but we gave you votes and made you a winner when you were with the BJP. But why did you leave the BJP?”
Rajbhar then referred to some papers and claimed Akhilesh Yadav had made the Agra expressway, DG office and brought the dial 100 facility.
Sinha then interjected, saying he is listing facilities that are for everyone, not just the OBCs and when listing infrastructure facilities, he should remember that the Yogi government far outranks any other government. But Rajbhar again evaded the question, failing to list even one thing that Akhilesh had done for the OBCs, based on which he is blaming the BJP for being anti-OBC and praising Akhilesh.
OP Rajbhar had become a first time MLA in 2017 from the Zahoorabad seat. He was made the minister for OBCs welfare and differently-abled people’s development, but was sacked from the Yogi cabinet in 2019 over ‘anti-alliance activities’.
