Lord Hanuman Was a Rajbhar: UP Minister OP Rajbhar’s Statement Stirs Debate

In a controversial statement, UP cabinet minister OP Rajbhar on Wednesday claimed that Lord Hanuman belonged to the Rajbhar community. Speaking at an event in Ballia, Rajbhar said, "Lord Hanuman born in the Rajbhar caste had the guts to rescue Lord Ram and Lakshman from the clutches of Ravan from Pratappuri." No other person had the boldness to do so but he did, he said.

In his defense of the statement, Rajbhar used rural idioms, saying that "even today, when children fight in villages, elders call them 'Bhar Banar' (Rajbhar monkeys)". He connected the above saying to his claim that Lord Hanuman belonged to the Rajbhar community.

Reaction from BJP on his statement

Ramping up political backlash, senior BJP leaders criticized Rajbhar for his remarks. Ballia BJP Vice President Surendra Singh sarcastically called Rajbhar a "great scholar," poking fun at his statement.

The controversy erupted during his visit to Ballia for laying the foundation stone of Raja Suheldev's statue in Chitbadagaon. The politician while speaking to a gathering here highlighted Hanuman's association with the Rajbhar community, elevating the political rhetoric further.