Uttar Pradesh Minister and Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) chief Om Prakash Rajbhar on Sunday, 15 November 2026, launched a sharp attack on Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav, accusing him of pursuing Dalit votes while his party has a history of insulting Dalit icons. Rajbhar also alleged that jailed SP leader Azam Khan had publicly referred to B.R. Ambedkar as a 'land mafia' — with Akhilesh Yadav reportedly present on the same stage.

The Trigger: SP's Agra Dalit Convention

The broadside came after the Samajwadi Party organised a Dalit convention in Agra under its 'PDA (Pichhda, Dalit, Alpsankhyak)' outreach initiative. Rajbhar questioned the credibility of the exercise, arguing that the SP had no moral authority to hold such events.

'It is an irony that the ones who insulted great Dalit leaders once are holding a conference in their honour. SP leader Azam Khan used to call Babasaheb Ambedkar a 'land mafia,' and Akhilesh Yadav could not stop him on stage. How is he holding a Dalit conference today?' Rajbhar said.

Key Allegations Against the SP

Rajbhar levelled a series of specific charges against the SP's record on Dalit issues. He alleged that the SP government (2012–2017) ended reservation in promotions, attacked then-Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati in 1995, and renamed districts honouring Dalit icons — including renaming Bhim Nagar as Sambhal, Ramabai Nagar as Kanpur Dehat, and Manyavar Kanshi Ram Nagar as Kasganj.

He further alleged that institutions named after Bahujan figures — including the Ambedkar Medical College in Kannauj and the Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar Harit Park in Lucknow — were renamed or defaced during the SP's tenure. He also cited an alleged attack on a Dalit wedding procession in Agra's Panwari village, reportedly because the groom was riding a horse, claiming nine people were killed in the incident.

Rajbhar reiterated his allegation that Azam Khan made the 'land mafia' remark about Ambedkar during the inauguration of the Ala Hazrat Haj House in Ghaziabad, with Akhilesh Yadav on the same stage. He also flagged remarks by Shivpal Singh Yadav about potentially making Khan the Home Minister, arguing such a move would endanger the Dalit community.

SP Fires Back at Rajbhar

Samajwadi Party spokesperson Fakhrul Hasan Chand rejected Rajbhar's attack, turning the allegation back on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its allies. Chand accused the ruling dispensation of perpetrating atrocities against Dalits, citing an incident in Lucknow where BJP workers were allegedly accused of bullying a Dalit.

'The Bharatiya Janata Party, which insults Dalits and includes Ministers in its government, is the same party whose workers were accused of bullying a Dalit in Lucknow. OP Rajbhar is a Minister in that very government; he is complicit in these atrocities against Dalits,' Chand said.

Chand also alleged that Rajbhar had targeted Dalit leaders and cited the treatment of SP MP Ramji Lal Suman as evidence of the BJP's approach towards the community. He claimed opposition to Suman was rooted in his Dalit identity.

Rajbhar's X Posts and Broader Political Context

Earlier on the same day, Rajbhar had posted on social media platform X directly questioning Akhilesh Yadav over the Agra convention, demanding an apology for past insults to Ambedkar and Bahujan leader Kanshi Ram. In the same post, he targeted SP MP Ramji Lal Suman over his remarks concerning Mewar king Rana Sanga, demanding that Suman apologise to the Hindu community.

Notably, this war of words unfolds as multiple parties compete to consolidate the Dalit vote bank ahead of the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. The PDA strategy represents a direct challenge to the BJP-SBSP alliance's hold over Other Backward Classes and Dalit segments. How the Dalit electorate in Agra and beyond responds to these competing claims will be a key variable in what is shaping up as one of India's most consequential state elections.