Speaking to reporters after meeting Bhilai Nagar MLA Devendra Yadav at his Sector-5 residence, Singh Deo said he had studied history in depth and found no credible proof of systematic or religion-based oppression of Hindus during Mughal rule. “I have done my MA in history. There is no solid historical evidence to suggest that Mughal rulers carried out organised atrocities against Hindus. Even during that period, regions like the Surguja princely state remained safe,” he said.
Singh Deo added that governance in medieval India relied on alliances rather than religious coercion. “Rulers were limited in number and depended on mutual relationships to run their kingdoms. There is no record of forced religious suppression based on faith,” he said, also referring to the spread of Buddhism, which he claimed occurred through voluntary acceptance rather than force.
Supporting Singh Deo’s remarks, senior Congress leader Rashid Alvi said most Mughal emperors were secular in outlook. He pointed out that several Mughal rulers had Hindu wives. “Akbar’s wife was Hindu, Jahangir married into the Thakur community, and Shah Jahan’s wife was also Hindu. It is difficult to argue that rulers with such familial ties would systematically oppress Hindus,” Alvi said.
Earlier, Bhupesh Baghel had made similar comments at a state-level convention in Durg on December 22, stating that Hindus were never under threat — whether during Mughal rule, Sultanate rule, or even at the time of Independence. He accused the BJP and RSS of using fear narratives to win elections.
Reacting strongly, BJP MP Santosh Pandey labelled Singh Deo and Baghel as “anti-Sanatan,” accusing the Congress of spreading misinformation and indulging in appeasement politics. He said Singh Deo had a history of making “confusing statements” and demanded that such remarks stop.
The exchange has further sharpened the political divide in Chhattisgarh, with history and religion once again becoming central to contemporary political discourse.
