BY MOHAMMAD TARIQUE SALEEM
India’s democratic foundations rest upon the principles of peaceful dissent, freedom of expression, and respect for constitutional values. Yet, recent developments in Uttar Pradesh have deeply shaken these principles. The violent agitation by Karni Sena members in Agra, combined with their open death threats to Samajwadi Party (SP) President Akhilesh Yadav, exposes not just the growing radicalism in public life but also the disturbing complicity or, at the very least, inaction of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
On March 21, 2025, SP Rajya Sabha MP Ramji Lal Suman made a controversial remark in Parliament questioning Rajput king Rana Sanga’s historical legacy, citing that he invited Babur to India to defeat Ibrahim Lodhi. The context of his remark was historical debate, a discussion that is the very essence of a free democracy. However, this statement was met not with reasoned dialogue but with a full-fledged, violent mob attack organized by Karni Sena.
Recently, more than a thousand armed Karni Sena workers, many from other states, stormed Suman’s house in Agra with bulldozers, lathis, and swords. They vandalized property, clashed with police, and injured officers in the process. It wasn’t just an attack on a person; it was an attack on Parliament, on democracy, and on the rule of law. Even more disturbingly, they threatened to kill Akhilesh Yadav, the leader of the main opposition party in Uttar Pradesh. This wasn’t a protest — it was terrorism in broad daylight.
Rather than strongly condemning the attack, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath remained silent, giving space for more such extremist actions to be normalized in the state. His silence spoke louder than any words and that silence has become deafening. In reaction, Samajwadi Party’s Chief Akhilesh Yadav rightly exposed the political theatre being played. He called out the Karni Sena for being a BJP-sponsored extremist outfit, likening it to the “Troopers of Hitler.”
Just like the Nazis used propaganda and paramilitary violence to silence dissent, the Karni Sena today seems to be functioning as the street arm of Yogi Adityanath’s government, intimidating political opponents with the threat of death. It is not just the Samajwadi Party or its members who are at risk; every Indian who believes in democracy, secularism, and the Constitution should be concerned.
If this behavior goes unchecked, it sets a chilling precedent. Can we accept a country where historical debate is punished with violence? Where mobs threaten to assassinate opposition leaders with no repercussions? Where bulldozers are used not for development but for destruction? Akhilesh Yadav’s strong stand is not just political resistance; it is a defense of India’s democratic soul.
His commitment to fighting back and seeking justice if the Samajwadi Party comes to power in 2027 is not about revenge as much as it is about restoring the rule of law. The people of Uttar Pradesh must now ask themselves, do they want to be ruled by fear or by fairness? Do they want swords and lathis in the streets or books and ballots in their hands? Karni Sena’s extremism and Yogi Adityanath’s silence are a wake-up call. It’s time to reject hate, reject violence, and reclaim democracy.
