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In a video that went viral on social media, Bhati was purportedly heard making objectionable remarks against Brahmins, triggering outrage among members of the community and political backlash.
Who is Rajkumar Bhati, and why is he facing legal trouble over remarks on Brahmins?A First Information Report (FIR) was registered against Samajwadi Party (SP) spokesperson Rajkumar Bhati in Noida on 13 May over his alleged derogatory remarks against the Brahmin community during an event in Delhi earlier this month. A similar FIR was registered in Ghaziabad a day before.
The fresh case was lodged at Noida’s Sector 24 police station on a complaint filed by Sushil Kumar, a local resident, in connection with remarks allegedly made by Bhati during a 5 May programme at Delhi's Jawahar Bhawan, the officials said.
The controversy had already led to a separate FIR being registered against Bhati a day earlier at the Kavi Nagar police station following a complaint from Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Ajay Sharma. That case was registered under section 196(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for allegedly promoting enmity between groups.
What is the controversy?
In a video that went viral on social media, Bhati was purportedly heard making objectionable remarks against Brahmins, triggering outrage among members of the community and political backlash.
Following criticism, Bhati apologised and claimed that only a short portion of his speech was clipped and circulated with the intention of defaming him.
Officials at the Sector 24 police station confirmed that a fresh FIR has been lodged in Noida over Bhati's remarks.
Amid growing anger over the issue, members of the Brahmin community held a meeting in the Brahmapuri area of Dadri on Tuesday, where strong resentment was expressed against the SP leader's statement.
Community representatives also decided to convene a "Mahapanchayat" at Bhagwan Parashuram Dharamshala at 4 pm on Friday.
Brahmin leader Sushil Pandit said the remarks have deeply hurt sentiments within the community and demanded strict legal action against Bhati.
The controversy has also triggered political reactions. In Ghaziabad on Tuesday, Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak termed the remarks condemnable and alleged that they reflected the "real character and hateful mindset" of the SP.
Pathak had also asked SP chief Akhilesh Yadav to clarify whether the remarks reflected his party's ideology.
Congress also demanded strict action against Bhati. “The abusive language against the Brahmin community is highly condemnable. Political differences in ideology are acceptable, but insulting an entire community is completely unacceptable.” “An apology alone will not suffice. Strict disciplinary action must be taken immediately against such irresponsible leaders,” UP Congress president Ajay Rai said in an X post
Who is Rajkumar Bhati?
Bhati is a politician and a national spokesperson for the Samajwadi Party. Bhati is a popular TV face who frequently appears in political debates. Bhati is a key media face for the Samajwadi Party and often represents the party’s views on national and regional television debates.
An apology alone will not suffice. Strict disciplinary action must be taken immediately against such irresponsible leaders.
Bhati has contested elections from the Dadri constituency in Uttar Pradesh. Before entering full-time politics, Bhati was involved in journalism. He holds a post-graduate degree and a law degree from Chaudhary Charan Singh University, Meerut, Uttar Pradesh.
(With agency inputs)
About the Author
Gulam Jeelani
Gulam Jeelani is Political Desk Editor at LiveMint with over 16 years of experience covering national and international politics. Based in New Delhi, Jeelani delivers impactful political narratives through breaking stories, in-depth interviews, and analytical pieces at LiveMint since February 2024. The expertise in video production fuels his current responsibilities, which include curating content and conducting video interviews for an expanding digital audience.<br><br> Jeelani also travels during elections and key political events and has covered assembly elections in key states apart from national elections. He has previously worked with The Pioneer, Network18, India Today, News9Plus and Hindustan Times.<br><br> Jeelani’s tenure at LiveMint and previous experience at print and digital newsrooms have honed his skills in creating compelling text and video stories, explainers, and analysis that resonate with a diverse viewership.<br><br> Before moving to New Delhi in 2015, Jeelani was based in Uttar Pradesh, where he worked for five years as a reporter. In 2018, Jeelani was one of the two Indian journalists selected for the Alfred Friendly Fellowship in the US. There, he attended training workshops on reporting and data journalism, and he was attached to the Minneapolis Star Tribune in Minnesota, where he worked as a reporter.<br><br> Jeelani is a Bachelor's in Chemistry and holds a Masters Degree in journalism and mass communication from Aligarh Muslim University. Outside work, he enjoys poetry, cricket and movies.
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