The Thakur community in Uttar Pradesh is now divided over the issue of supporting Raja Bhaiyya, the man who — till not so long ago — was hailed as a modern-day icon of the community.
The issue of supporting former minister and Independent MLA, Raghuraj Pratap Singh a.k.a. Raja Bhaiyya, presently in jail for allegedly threatening a panchayat candidate, has created sharp divisions within the Thakur community in the state.
While one group of the Akhil Bhartiya Kshatriya Mahasabha, led by former government officer Baba Hardev Singh, has announced its full support to the erstwhile Raja and has demanded that all cases registered against him should be withdrawn immediately, another group of the same organisation led by Jitendra Pratap Singh has issued a statement saying that if raja Bhaiyya had broken the law, he deserved to be in jail and the Mahasabha would never support any law breaker.
Baba Hardev Singh claims that the atrocities on Raja Bhaiyya by the Mayawati government in 2002 and in 2010 have angered the Kshatriya community in Punjab, Haryana and Madhya Pradesh and demonstrations would be held at all district headquarters from January 21 to seek the release of the former minister.
He further said that lack of unity among Kshatriyas had weakened the community to such an extent that political leaders were taking advantage of the situation.
“Had we been united, no one could have dared to arrest Raja Bhaiyya,” he said.
A rival group of the Mahasabha, on the other hand, is strongly opposed to any kind of support to Raja Bhaiyya.
“It is time that Raja Bhaiyya realised that he was an ordinary citizen of the land and not a king of his kingdom. The era of rajas and ranis is long over. If he has broken the law, he deserves to be punished. Besides, why should the community support? What has he done to benefit the community or encourage the youth in the Thakur community? He will only get what he gives,” said Jitendra Pratap Singh, rather indignantly.