NEW DELHI: Samajwadi Party MP Ramgopal Yadav on Friday criticised Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath after being accused of making caste-based remarks about Indian Air Force officer Vyomika Singh . In a post on X, Yadav said Adityanath had reacted without hearing the full statement and was using the matter for politics.
Yadav explained that his earlier comment, made during a public event, was meant to show how caste and religion still affect law enforcement, government postings, and public opinion in Uttar Pradesh.
Wing Commander Vyomika Singh, along with foreign secretary Vikram Misri and Army officer Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, was regularly present at press briefings related to Operation Sindoor.
Also read: Ram Gopal Yadav sparks row with 'caste' remark on Wing Commander Vyomika Singh
Yadav’s statement was linked to a controversy around BJP minister Vijay Shah, who allegedly made offensive remarks about Colonel Qureshi, who is Muslim. At a recent programme in Moradabad, Yadav claimed Shah targeted Qureshi based on her religion, while officers like Vyomika Singh were not criticised, as they were thought to be Rajput."One of their ministers abused Colonel Qureshi. The high court has ordered registration of a case against him again. But he did not know who Vyomika Singh was and neither did he know about Air Marshal AK Bharti, otherwise these people would have abused them too," Yadav said
Yadav also named the caste backgrounds of Singh and Bharti, saying Singh is a Jatav from Haryana and Bharti is a Yadav from Purnia.
Also read: 'Ready to apologise 10 times, more respect for her than my sister': MP minister Vijay Shah backtracks from remarks against Colonel Sofiya Qureshi
"All three were from PDA (Picchda, Dalit, Alpsankhyak — backwards, Dalits, minorities). One was abused because she was Muslim, another was spared thinking she was Rajput, and the third was not known. Now that it's in the papers, they're thinking about what to do."
He also said the BJP was more focused on praising itself than on recognising the work of the armed forces. "When the mentality is bad, instead of speaking about the Army's achievements, they highlight their own."
In response, chief minister Yogi Adityanath strongly criticised Yadav’s statement, calling it disrespectful to the armed forces.
"The uniform of the army is not seen through 'casteist glasses'. Every soldier of the Indian Army performs 'Rashtradharma' and is not a representative of any caste or religion," Adityanath wrote on X.
Yadav explained that his earlier comment, made during a public event, was meant to show how caste and religion still affect law enforcement, government postings, and public opinion in Uttar Pradesh.
उत्तर भारत के कुछ राज्यों में विशेषकर उत्तर प्रदेश में जहाँ धर्म, जाति और वर्ग देखकर लोगों पर फ़र्ज़ी मुकदमे लगाये जा रहे हों, जाति धर्म के आधार पर एनकाउंटर किये जा रहे हों, जाति धर्म के आधार पर गैंगस्टर लगा कर संपत्ति जब्त की जा रही हो, जाति धर्म और वर्ग देखकर महिलाओं पर…
— Prof. Ram Gopal Yadav (@proframgopalya1) May 16, 2025
Wing Commander Vyomika Singh, along with foreign secretary Vikram Misri and Army officer Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, was regularly present at press briefings related to Operation Sindoor.
Also read: Ram Gopal Yadav sparks row with 'caste' remark on Wing Commander Vyomika Singh
Yadav’s statement was linked to a controversy around BJP minister Vijay Shah, who allegedly made offensive remarks about Colonel Qureshi, who is Muslim. At a recent programme in Moradabad, Yadav claimed Shah targeted Qureshi based on her religion, while officers like Vyomika Singh were not criticised, as they were thought to be Rajput."One of their ministers abused Colonel Qureshi. The high court has ordered registration of a case against him again. But he did not know who Vyomika Singh was and neither did he know about Air Marshal AK Bharti, otherwise these people would have abused them too," Yadav said
Yadav also named the caste backgrounds of Singh and Bharti, saying Singh is a Jatav from Haryana and Bharti is a Yadav from Purnia.
Also read: 'Ready to apologise 10 times, more respect for her than my sister': MP minister Vijay Shah backtracks from remarks against Colonel Sofiya Qureshi
"All three were from PDA (Picchda, Dalit, Alpsankhyak — backwards, Dalits, minorities). One was abused because she was Muslim, another was spared thinking she was Rajput, and the third was not known. Now that it's in the papers, they're thinking about what to do."
He also said the BJP was more focused on praising itself than on recognising the work of the armed forces. "When the mentality is bad, instead of speaking about the Army's achievements, they highlight their own."
In response, chief minister Yogi Adityanath strongly criticised Yadav’s statement, calling it disrespectful to the armed forces.
"The uniform of the army is not seen through 'casteist glasses'. Every soldier of the Indian Army performs 'Rashtradharma' and is not a representative of any caste or religion," Adityanath wrote on X.
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