Uma Bharti says Mohan Yadav is ‘naive’, declares she’ll fight 2029 LS polls from Jhansi

Senior BJP leader and former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Uma Bharti on Wednesday defended current chief minister Mohan Yadav over his remarks on Lord Krishna, calling him “a bit naive” but “a very simple person” who should not be drawn into controversies over matters of faith.

Yadav sparked criticism after comments made during a Govardhan Puja ceremony in Bhopal on Wednesday, 22 October, where he said “Lord Krishna has gained the mistaken identity as ‘Gopal’,” and added that “anyone who rears cattle is called a Gopal”. His remarks, seen by many as diminishing a traditional epithet of Lord Krishna, triggered objections from sections of the priest community and opposition parties.

Bharti, speaking to reporters a day later, sought to downplay the controversy and urged restraint in reacting to religious interpretations. “Lord Krishna was named ‘Gopal’ thousands of years ago and the name is on everyone’s lips,” she said.

“That’s why I always tell all politicians not to become experts on the scriptures. No one should become one… I should not be one either,” she added. “And ‘Mohan’ is ‘Gopal’, in a way. He is a person who speaks easily. He is a very simple person. It is the job of those who understand religion to know who calls God by what name.”

“Leave it to the saints,” she continued. “Whether Lord Krishna is ‘Gopal’ or ‘Makhan-chor’ is a matter of personal devotion. I think our chief minister Mohan Yadav is a bit naive.”

Turning to her own political future, Bharti dismissed speculation that she had been sidelined within the BJP, insisting that she remained active and engaged in public life. “I am not even marginalised (to the smallest extent)… I have informed the party that I am ready to contest the Lok Sabha elections in 2029. If the party wants me to contest, I will definitely contest… But I will contest only from Jhansi,” she said.

Bharti, who won from Jhansi in 2014 and served as a Union minister until 2019, has since receded from the BJP’s power circles — a change attributed to the rise of younger leaders in both Delhi and Bhopal. Her absence from major electoral and organisational roles has led to the perception that she has been politically marginalised, particularly after the consolidation of leadership under Shivraj Singh Chouhan and now Mohan Yadav.

Nonetheless, Bharti said her current focus lies in cow welfare and river conservation. She announced a cow conservation campaign beginning 29 October, on Gopashtami, to run for one-and-a-half years in collaboration with farmers and gram panchayats. She urged the state government to provide two cows each to women beneficiaries of the Ladli Behna Yojana, saying the initiative would promote economic independence.

She also reiterated her support for ‘One Nation, One Election’, saying simultaneous polls would enhance governance efficiency. “My wish is that the Lok Sabha, Assembly, Municipal Council, Municipal Corporation and Nagar Panchayat elections should all be completed within 45 days,” she said.

With PTI inputs