Samajwadi Party leader Shivraj Singh Yadav, a close aide of party chief Akhilesh Yadav, sparked a major political and social controversy after declaring that “Yadavs are not Hindus” and rejecting Hindu identity over what he described as caste-based discrimination sanctioned by religious texts. Addressing a public meeting titled PDA (Dalit-Backward-Minority) Pathshala at Dandiyamai village in Uttar Pradesh’s Sirsaganj assembly constituency, Yadav said he did not believe in a religion that treated humans as inferior based on caste. Referring to the caste hierarchy outlined in Manusmriti, he questioned where Yadavs fit within the traditional framework.
“Not Hindu, Human First”: Yadav
“Brahmin, we are not. Kshatriya, we are not. Vaishya, we are not. What remains is Shudra,” he said, adding that he refuses to identify with a religion that, according to him, places some humans “lower than a dog.” Yadav further stated that identifying as Hindu was not mandatory and asserted his identity as a human first. He accused the current BJP-led government at the Centre and in Uttar Pradesh of committing the highest number of atrocities against Dalits and backward classes.
PDA Claim: Power Denied Majority
Explaining the PDA concept, Yadav said Dalits, backward classes and minorities together constitute nearly 90 percent of the population but remain excluded from real power, which he claimed is controlled by a small elite group. While rejection of Hinduism has historically been more visible among sections of the Dalit community, particularly through conversions to Buddhism, Yadav’s remarks are notable as few leaders from the Yadav community have publicly distanced themselves from Hindu identity.
The Samajwadi Party has repeatedly accused the BJP of being anti-Dalit and anti-backward class, with Akhilesh Yadav frequently alleging a rise in atrocities under the current regime.