Agra, March 22 Senior Samajwadi Party leader and Rajya Sabha MP, Ramji Lal Suman, on Saturday defended his remarks calling 16th-century Rajput king Rana Sanga a "traitor," asserting that his statement was based on historical facts documented in Baburnama, the memoir of Mughal emperor Babur. He also pointed out that Muslims of India do not consider Babur as their leader.
His remarks, made during a speech in the Rajya Sabha on Friday, have sparked sharp criticism from multiple political quarters.
Suman had made the controversial statement while addressing the BJP's frequent comments about the historical lineage of Indian Muslims. Participating in a discussion on the functioning of the Home Ministry on Friday, he referred to Rana Sanga's role in inviting Babur to India, which he claimed led to the establishment of Mughal rule and called the Rajput ruler a "traitor."
Speaking to IANS, Suman stood by his statement, stating, "It is a historical fact. Nowadays, it has become common to claim that Indian Muslims have the DNA of Babur. But the truth is that the Muslims of India do not consider Babur as their leader. Babur did not come with religion; he came with a sword. The ideals of Indian Muslims are rooted in the tradition of Sufi saints."
"I pointed out in Rajya Sabha that it is easy to call Babur a foreign invader, but who invited him? Historical records, including Baburnama, state that Rana Sanga invited Babur to fight against Ibrahim Lodi. Later, of course, the situation changed, and Rana Sanga himself fought against Babur at the Battle of Khanwa," he further added.
Dismissing the backlash from Opposition parties, Suman said, "I do not care whether people like it or not. I only stated the truth. The most important issue I raised was how the BJP is destroying the Ganga-Jamuni culture of our country."
"There have been calls for Muslims to avoid playing Holi or to stay indoors during festivals. In my village and many others, everyone, including Muslims, celebrates Holi together. Some people are repeatedly telling others to leave the country, but this country belongs to everyone --Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs and Christians alike," he added.
During his speech in the Rajya Sabha, Suman had stated, "Indian Muslims do not consider Babur their ideal. But who brought Babur to India? It was Rana Sanga who invited him to defeat Ibrahim Lodi. If you claim Muslims are descendants of Babur, then you must also acknowledge that you are descendants of Rana Sanga, a traitor. We criticise Babur, but not Rana Sanga."
His remarks have triggered strong reactions, with the BJP calling them a "shameful act" and demanding an apology from the Samajwadi Party.
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