SBSP chief pitches for grand fairs inSuheldev's name

Time of India

20-05-2025

Lucknow: Four days after the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court denied permission to the Dargah Sharif Management Committee in Bahraich to organise the annual
Jeth Mela
at Syed Salar Masud Ghazi dargah, the
Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party
(SBSP) chief and UP minister
Om Prakash Rajbhar
on Tuesday pitched for organising a grand fair in the name of
Maharaja Suheldev
.
Salar Masud, a semi-legendary figure who is believed to be the general and nephew of Turkish invader Mahmud Ghaznavi and is believed to have accompanied him on his plundering trips to India, including the attack on Somnath temple. Masud's rampaging moves are said to have been stopped by Maharaja Suheldev of Shravasti, another legendary figure, in what is now famous as the Battle of Bahraich in 1034 AD. They both find mention in Persian hagiography Mirat-i-Masudi, written in 17th century.
The Jeth Mela, a centuries-old fair traditionally held between May 15 and June 15 at the dargah Salar Masud in Bahraich, was cancelled earlier this year. The district administration cited concerns over law and order, referencing recent incidents such as the Pahalgam terrorist attack and communal tensions in Sambhal.
Other fairs in Masud's name, Sambhal's Neja Mela and Urs of Bale Miyan (as he is known in Gorakhpur) were also cancelled. This was followed by CM
Yogi Adityanath
's assertion that glorification of invaders amounted to treason which an "independent India will not tolerate".
Rajbhar, who made the demand during his meeting with CM Yogi Adityanath, pressed for organising a fair in Bahraich and a few other places. SBSP chief national general secretary Arvind Rajbhar, who was also present at the meeting, claimed that the CM agreed to the demand. He said that both the CM and Rajbhar were critical of the opposition parties who have been covertly backing such events linked to Muslim invaders. Rajbhar happens to be a cabinet minister for panchayati raj and minority welfare.
Not far from the dargah, a grand memorial in the name of king Suheldev has already come up. Suheldev is often referred to as the presiding deity of the Rajbhar community, who are present in a large number in several eastern UP districts with the BJP projecting him as a Hindutva demigod.
On February 16, 2021, the foundation stone of the Suheldev memorial in Bahraich was laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi via video conferencing. The project includes the installation of an equestrian statue of Maharaja Suheldev at a site along the banks of Chittaura Lake in the district. The state govt is also planning to set up a museum based on the life of Suheldev.