Kshatriya Parishad Condemns Film for 'Political Appropriation' of Chauhan Legacy
The Kshatriya Parishad has accused the makers of Ajay Devgn's upcoming film Chauhaan, including writer-director Neeraj Yadav, of attempting to appropriate the Chauhan clan name for contemporary communal politics. In a statement posted on X, the organization said the historic Chauhan lineage belongs to Rajput history and should not be used as a “political prop” or for “manufactured controversies.”
“We strongly condemn the attempt by Neeraj Yadav and Ajay Devgn’s upcoming film Chauhaan to appropriate the Chauhan clan name for contemporary communal politics,” the Kshatriya Parishad wrote. The group emphasized that the Chauhan legacy is part of history, not “electoral narratives or manufactured controversies of external agents.”
Rajput Identity 'Dragged Into Political Narrative'
The statement expressed regret that “Rajput identity is once again being dragged into a political narrative that Rajputs neither initiated nor sought.” The organization argued that invoking a Rajput clan name to provoke outrage, inflame caste or communal sentiments, or generate political spectacle was “irresponsible and disrespectful.”
The Kshatriya Parishad also rejected attempts to portray medieval Indian history through simplistic communal binaries. It cited several historical examples of alliances between Rajput rulers and Afghan leaders, noting that political relationships of the period were shaped by statecraft, military strategy, and loyalty rather than religious identity.
Historical Examples of Rajput-Afghan Alliances
Among the examples cited were Mahmud Lodi fighting under Maharana Sanga at the Battle of Khanwa, Hakim Khan Sur commanding a contingent in Maharana Pratap’s army during the Battle of Haldighati, Sher Shah Suri’s early military association with Raja Raisal Shekhawat, and Maharaja Vikramaditya Tomar fighting alongside Lodi forces in the First Battle of Panipat.
The organization urged political leaders, filmmakers, and media organizations to engage with India’s past responsibly, stating that historical memory should not become a tool for communal mobilization. “We reject every attempt to weaponise Rajput identity for ideological ends,” the statement concluded.
