Lucknow: Chandrashekhar Azad, leader of the Azad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram) and founder of the Bhim Army, has issued a strong critique of Yogi Adityanath, the Hindutva Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, for referring to Dalits as “harijan,” a term widely viewed as derogatory.

According to Kashmir Media Service, in his remarks, Azad pointed out that “harijan,” historically used by upper-caste Hindus to label Dalits—who represent the lowest social strata in India—has been officially discouraged. He reminded that in 1982, the Indian government advised state administrations against using the term for Scheduled Castes. He expressed concern that Adityanath, holding such a significant constitutional position, seems unaware of these guidelines, implying that his choice of words may reflect a deliberate insult to the Dalit community.

In a post on X, Azad, who serves as a member of the Indian parliament, stated, “Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who proclaimed, ‘If we divide, we will be divided’ during election rallies, is perpetuating division within society by categorizing people as ‘harijans’ and ‘non-harijans’ across social, cultural, and religious lines.” He further emphasized that the term had been banned by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment in 2010 and condemned by the courts as derogatory.

Accompanying his comments was a video clip of the Chief Minister using the term, further highlighting the issue.