Samajwadi Party protesters evoke Dalit identity in response to Karni Sena attack on MP’s residence

Protests erupt in Lucknow after Karni Sena attacks SP MP Ramji Lal Suman's residence, sparking caste tensions in U.P.

The attack on the residence of Samajwadi Party (SP) Rajya Sabha MP Ramji Lal Suman by the Karni Sena, a self-proclaimed Rajput organisation, was protested by SP workers in Lucknow on Thursday (March 27, 2025).

The SP protesters said the attack was an insult to the Dalits, hinting at the caste identity of Mr. Suman. This was in response to the Karni Sena which had called the statements made by Mr. Suman as an insult to Rajput icon Rana Sanga.

“We will not tolerate this kind of attack on our MP. This incident shows feudal mindset, if Ramji Lal Suman would be from any other caste, would such forces think of attacking him. This was an attack directed at the entire PDA and Dalit community; if action is not taken, we will organise protests across the State following Eid,” SP general secretary Ram Gopal Yadav said. Mr. Yadav, who is also the SP MP Rajya Sabha in Agra, was visiting Mr. Suman’s residence.

In Lucknow, the SP raised slogans against the U.P. government alleging it for being anti-Dalit. “The attack took place on the direction of the Bharatiya Janata Party people, the ruling party indulge in politics of appeasement, the BJP people are anti-Dalit to the core,” Shivpal Singh Yadav, a senior SP MLA and party general secretary, said.

Rajput groups held protests in parts of U.P., and set alight effigies of Mr. Suman. They demanded the registration of an FIR against the MP, as well as the cancellation of his Rajya Sabha membership. “We held a protest demanding strict action on the MP. No one has the right to disrespect our idol who is a brave son of the soil,” Narayan Singh, an activist of the Karni Sena, said in Shahjahanpur.

The BJP described the ongoing episode as well-planned strategy of the SP, to orchestrate caste tensions in U.P. and polarise the society. “Days ago, one SP leader in Maharashtra gave a statement hailing Aurangzeb and afterwards the MP made remarks against a Rajput icon. This is a strategy of the SP aimed at creating tensions in society. We believe violence by any side is not permitted. The law will take its own course,” Rakesh Tripathi, the BJP spokesperson, said.

In a related development, the Agra police lodged an FIR against unknown people numbered in the hundreds on Thursday, a day after the incident under charges of rioting, attempt to murder, robbery and house trespass etc. of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.