Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) chief and Uttar Pradesh minister Om Prakash Rajbhar on Sunday, 28 June launched a sharp attack on Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav, questioning why neither Akhilesh nor his father, former Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav, ever visited Mathura during their respective tenures as Chief Minister — even as the SP now claims a devotional connection to Lord Krishna.

What Rajbhar Said

Speaking to reporters, Rajbhar said: 'A Yadav has become Chief Minister four times, and Akhilesh Yadav himself served as Chief Minister once. During those five years, did he ever visit Mathura? He says they are descendants of Lord Krishna.'

Rajbhar went further, invoking Mulayam Singh Yadav directly: 'Neither his father went, nor did he, nor will anyone from his family go. Otherwise, I would say that if you truly are descendants of Lord Krishna, then come with us. We will lead the way, you follow us, and let a temple be built in Mathura. But they will run away.'

He added: 'These people are not here to stay. They only want to remain relevant by passing remarks.'

Adityanath's Criticism at Hathras Rally

Rajbhar's remarks came in direct support of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who earlier on the same day accused the SP of a consistent history of opposing Hindu religious traditions. Speaking at a public gathering in Hathras, Adityanath said: 'Let's talk about Mathura. If you are really trying to call yourself religious, speak openly about Mathura, Vrindavan and the birthplace of Shri Krishna. The birthplace of Shri Krishna should also be honoured.'

Adityanath's remarks came a day after Akhilesh Yadav posted a pledge on social media platform X, promising that an SP government would develop Ayodhya into a 'peerless and inimitable sacred city, where devotees from across the world will experience the unparalleled essence of true spirituality.'

The Ayodhya Trigger

The political flashpoint was Akhilesh Yadav's post on X, in which he committed to transforming Ayodhya if voted to power. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-aligned bloc swiftly responded, framing the pledge as opportunistic given the SP's track record on religious sites during its years in power in Uttar Pradesh.

Notably, the SP has governed the state for five terms through the Yadav family, yet critics argue that Mathura and Vrindavan — cities of deep significance to the Yadav community's claimed lineage from Lord Krishna — were not elevated during those years. This is not the first time the BJP and its allies have used the Mathura question to challenge the SP's religious credentials.

Political Context

The exchange underscores the intensifying contest over religious identity politics ahead of the next Uttar Pradesh assembly cycle. Both the BJP and the SP are calibrating their positions on temple towns, with Ayodhya, Mathura, and Varanasi serving as symbolic battlegrounds. Rajbhar's SBSP is a key BJP ally in the state, and his intervention amplifies the ruling coalition's counter-narrative against the SP's recent overtures to Hindu voters.

Whether Akhilesh Yadav responds directly to the Mathura challenge — or pivots back to governance issues — will signal how the SP intends to navigate the religion-versus-development debate in the months ahead.