Senior Congress leader and former MP Udit Raj has openly called for the “strangulation” of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo and four-time Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati, making an anti-Dalit remark by saying “Mayawati ne jo samajik andolan ka gala ghota hai, unka gala ghotne ka samay aa gaya hai.” Raj, who made the controversial remark during a press conference in Lucknow, justified his statement by invoking Bhagwan Krishna’s teachings from the Bhagavad Gita, claiming that his “Krishna” had ordered him to “eliminate enemies of social justice.”
With the BJP and BSP strongly condemning Raj’s words, while the Congress party remains tight-lipped. More disturbingly, feminists and civil rights groups—who are often vocal in matters concerning violence against women—have remained silent, raising questions about their selective activism when it comes to political figures from the Dalit community.
During his press conference, Raj launched a scathing attack on Mayawati, accusing her of betraying the Bahujan movement started by BSP founder Kanshiram. He declared:
“Krishna had said, fight for justice, and if necessary, even kill your own relatives. BSP chief Ms. Mayawati ji has strangled the social movement, now the time has come to strangle her.” Raj later doubled down on his statement by sharing a clip of his speech on X, reiterating:
“Our Krishna has told me that first of all, kill your enemy. Whoever is the enemy of social justice, I have written in my press release—the time has come to strangle the social movement that Ms. Mayawati has strangled.”
https://twitter.com/Dr_Uditraj/status/1891460547666657700
This blatant use of violent language has drawn widespread criticism, with many pointing out the inherent danger in a senior political leader openly calling for harm against a female Dalit leader.
While Mayawati did not directly address Udit Raj’s remark, she made it clear that the Congress party has always been unreliable when it comes to protecting Dalit interests. She stated: “The Congress party, which has disdained Dr Ambedkar’s struggle for Dalit self-respect and dignity at every level, can never be true to his vision.”
1. बाबा साहेब डा. भीमराव अम्बेडकर के जीतेजी व उनके देहान्त के बाद भी, करोड़ों शोषित-पीड़ित दलितों/बहुजनों के लिए उनके आत्म-सम्मान एवं स्वाभिमान के मानवतावादी संघर्ष का हर स्तर पर तिरस्कार करने वाली खासकर कांग्रेस पार्टी कभी भी इनकी सोच-नीतियों पर खरी व विश्वसनीय नहीं हो सकती।
— Mayawati (@Mayawati) February 18, 2025
Despite Congress’s attempts to attract Dalit and backward communities through slogans like ‘Jai Bapu, Jai Bhim, Jai Mandal, Jai Samvidhan,’ BSP chief Mayawati asserted that such programs are purely for political and electoral gains. She emphasised that Ambedkar’s followers are well aware of Congress’s tactics and will not be misled. Instead, she stated, they remain vigilant and are striving for self-reliance.
2. अतः विशुद्ध राजनीतिक व चुनावी स्वार्थ के लिए कांग्रेस ’जय बापू, जय भीम, जय मण्डल, जय संविधान’ आदि के नाम पर चाहे जितने भी कार्यक्रम क्यों न कर ले, बाबा साहेब के अनुयाई इनके किसी बहकावे में आने वाले नहीं हैं। वे जागरुक व सतर्क तथा अपने पैरों पर खड़े होने के लिए संघर्षरत हैं।
— Mayawati (@Mayawati) February 18, 2025
Mayawati further advised the Bahujan Samaj to remain wary of “opportunistic and selfish Dalit leaders” who make inflammatory statements to please their political masters. Though she dismissed Raj’s comments as unworthy of serious attention, her response highlighted the Congress party’s historical betrayal of Dalits—a sentiment echoed by many political analysts.
3. साथ ही, कुछ दलबदलू अवसरवादी व स्वार्थी दलित लोग अपने आक़ाओं को खुश करने के लिए जो अनर्गल बयानबाजी आदि करते रहते हैं उनसे भी बहुजन समाज को सावधान रहने व उन्हें गंभीरता से नहीं लेने की जरूरत है क्योंकि वे ’सामाजिक परिवर्तन व आर्थिक मुक्ति’ मूवमेन्ट से अनभिज्ञ व अपरिचित हैं।
— Mayawati (@Mayawati) February 18, 2025
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) slammed Udit Raj and the Congress party for his shocking anti-Dalit remarks. BJP IT Cell chief Amit Malviya called out Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, questioning if he endorsed Raj’s words.
“Congress leader Udit Raj is saying that his ‘Krishna’ has ordered him to kill BSP supremo Mayawati. Is Rahul Gandhi the person given the title of Krishna? Has the frustration within Congress reached a level where violence is now dominating their language and politics?”
Malviya further accused Congress of harboring deep-seated anti-Dalit sentiments and drew parallels between this attack and the violent assault Mayawati once suffered at the hands of Samajwadi Party (SP) members in 1995.
“The SP had physically attacked Mayawati in the infamous Guest House incident. Now, Congress leaders are openly calling for her murder. SP and Congress have always cheated Dalits and backward communities under the guise of social justice.”
कांग्रेस नेता उदित राज कह रहे हैं कि उनके ‘कृष्ण’ ने उन्हें आदेश दिया है कि बीएसपी सुप्रीमो मायावती जी को मार दिया जाए। क्या राहुल गांधी ही वह व्यक्ति हैं, जिन्हें कृष्ण की उपाधि दी गई है? क्या कांग्रेस के भीतर इतनी झुंझलाहट बढ़ गई है कि अब भाषा और राजनीति, दोनों में हिंसा का भाव… pic.twitter.com/dqjRHKdHRz
— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) February 17, 2025
As backlash mounted, Raj attempted to clarify his remarks, stating that they should not be linked to the Congress party. Instead, he accused Mayawati of using Ambedkar’s name to stay in power while secretly aligning with the BJP. “Mayawati misled people for four decades, spreading false propaganda against Congress. She used Ambedkar’s name to slit Congress’s throat while enjoying power herself.”
Raj claimed that his words were merely symbolic and intended to express frustration over Mayawati’s political strategies. However, his clarification failed to convince critics, who pointed out that using the phrase “strangling” in political discourse, especially against a Dalit woman leader, was not just irresponsible but outright dangerous.
Akash Anand, Mayawati’s nephew and a rising leader in the BSP, fiercely condemned Udit Raj’s remarks, calling them intolerable. In a scathing post on X, he wrote:
“Udit Raj is an opportunist who jumps between BJP and Congress for selfish interests. He has no concern for the Bahujan movement; his only aim is to secure an MP or MLA ticket. His threat to strangle Behenji (Mayawati) is a direct attack on millions of Bahujan workers who have dedicated their lives to this movement.”
आज लखनऊ में मान्यवर कांशीराम साहेब के कुछ पुराने सहयोगी और कभी भाजपा कभी कांग्रेसी चमचे उदितराज ने साहेब के मिशन पर लंबा चौड़ा ज्ञान दिया है। जबकि उदितराज अपने स्वार्थ के लिए दूसरे दलों में मौका तलाशने के लिए कुख्यात है। उसे बहुजन मूवमेंट की चिंता सिर्फ इसलिए है ताकि वो किसी दल… https://t.co/Fp8lk500is
— Akash Anand (@AnandAkash_BSP) February 17, 2025
Anand further demanded strict action against Raj for making such a violent statement, emphasising that BSP workers would not tolerate threats against their leader.
In clarification to Akash Anand’s statement, Raj explained that the remarks stemmed from a press conference held on February 16, following the first Dalit, OBC, Minorities, and Tribal Federation conference at Lucknow’s Sahakarita Bhavan, presided over by Justice Sabhajit Yadav. Raj, who was the chief guest at the event, said the press conference led to the uproar over his statement.
Defending his position, Raj accused Mayawati of misleading people for four decades by spreading false propaganda against the Congress and labeling it anti-Dalit. He alleged that she exploited Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s legacy to weaken Congress while consolidating her own political power. According to Raj, crores of Bahujan workers had made sacrifices for the movement, only to have their efforts squandered.
सबसे पहले मैं स्पष्ट करना चाहूँगा कि मेरे बयान का कांग्रेस से न जोड़ा जाए । 16 फ़रवरी को लखनऊ के सहकारिता भवन में प्रथम दलित, ओबीसी, माइनॉरिटीज़ और आदिवासी परिसंघ का सम्मेलन हुवा और जिसकी अध्यक्षता जस्टिस सभाजीत यादव ने की । मैं मुख्य अतिथि के रूप में उपस्थित था । सम्मेलन के बाद… https://t.co/ROkOV446VZ
— Dr. Udit Raj (@Dr_Uditraj) February 18, 2025
“Mayawati never took a stand against the RSS, yet she consistently targets Congress to prevent Dalits from aligning with it. It is time to remove the one who has strangled the Bahujan movement,” Raj stated.
He further claimed that the BSP’s repeated attacks on Congress—while allegedly aligning with the BJP—prove that the party functions as the BJP’s B team. Urging critics not to drag Congress into the controversy, Raj insisted that he remains committed to protecting the Bahujan movement at any cost. “I have never lied or compromised on my principles, nor will I ever do so,” he asserted.
