A video shows a rallyist also threatening to shoot former Uttar Pradesh chief minister and SP supremo Akhilesh Yadav
Team Clarion
NEW DELHI – A massive armed rally of the Hindu militant Karni Sena in the Etmadpur area of the historic city of Agra in Uttar Pradesh on Saturday sparked tensions, as hundreds of youths carrying swords and guns assembled to mark the birth anniversary of Rajput warrior Rana Sanga. The participants brazenly threatened to slit the throat of Samajwadi Party MP Ramji Lal Suman for his “obnoxious” remarks against the warrior king.
The Karni Sena used the event to stage a show of strength and vent their anger and frustration over Suman’s remarks which had drawn the ire of several Rajput groups, with many calling it insulting to the historical figure.
Several videos of the event have since gone viral; one of them shows a Karni Sena member brandishing a naked sword and claiming that Karni Sena workers are ready to put the MP to the sword for his comments against the Rajput warrior. “These hands are trembling to slit your throat,” he said referring to the Samajwadi leader.
"These hands are trembling to slit your throat…"
— Hate Detector 🔍 (@HateDetectors) April 12, 2025
The #KarniSena stages a show of strength under the pretext of #RanaSangaJayanti (a Rajput warrior's anniversary) in #Agra, #UttarPradesh.
Thousands of supporters, armed with swords, sticks, and guns, have gathered. They are… pic.twitter.com/vp0ZEiKgFK
Another video of the event shows a Karni Sena member threatening to shoot former Uttar Pradesh chief minister and Samajwadi Party supremo Akhilesh Yadav.
These videos were put out on the X platform by Hate Detector on its website.
A #KarniSena worker has threatened to shoot former #UttarPradesh Chief Minister and #SamajwadiParty MP #AkhileshYadav. pic.twitter.com/XHoUwIcxBA
— Hate Detector 🔍 (@HateDetectors) April 12, 2025
Suman had called Rana Sanga a ‘traitor’ who helped Babur beat Ibrahim Lodi. “BJP leaders often claim that Muslims have the DNA of Babur. But who invited Babur to India? It was Rana Sanga who brought him to defeat Ibrahim Lodi. By that logic, if Muslims are Babur’s descendants, you are also the descendants of Rana Sanga – a traitor,” he said in the upper house of parliament recently.
His remarks led to an immediate backlash from Rajput organisations like the Akhil Bharatiya Kshatriya Mahasabha and the Karni Sena with the latter threatening to “chop off the tongue” of the Samajwadi Party leader.
While Suman later clarified that his intention was not to hurt anyone’s feelings, he refused to apologise. “My statement was neither against any caste, nor against any class, nor against any religion. I salute all those who have sacrificed their lives for the soil of this country. My intention was not to hurt anyone’s feelings,” he added.
The rally, held in Agra’s Garhi Rami village, was organised amid tight police security, fearing violence. Large crowds began pouring into the rally site on motorbikes and cars right from early morning. Many attendees openly carried weapons, including swords and firearms. A massive four-foot high stage was set up on more than 20 bighas of land, which quickly filled up with supporters. Parking areas near the venue were overwhelmed, while tankers were deployed to provide drinking water, according to local media reports.
Despite police attempts to control the inflow at certain checkpoints, thousands managed to reach the venue. Drones monitored the crowd throughout the day, and shops along the highway remained shut on police orders.
Suman’s statement was seen as an affront to Rajput pride by the Karni Sena. Following this, police intelligence flagged a possible plan to attack Suman’s house using bulldozers. Acting on the alerts, police seized JCB machines from Agra and nearby areas to prevent any attempt to bring them to the rally site.
