‘Chandrashekhar Azad used abusive words against Mayawati’:PhD scholar Rohini Ghavari alleges Bhim Army chief misled Dalit youth misrepresented himself

I have such videos. I am ready to give them to the investigating agency. In which there is proof that he (Chandrashekhar Azad) is using dirty words about Kanshiram Sahab’s party BSP. He has also used abusive language against Mayawati. This is the statement of PhD scholar Dr. Rohini Ghavari. Rohini, a resident of Indore, has accused Chandrashekhar Azad, MP from Nagina in UP and founder of the Bhim Army, of harassment. In response, his supporters have filed an FIR against her. Rohini says she shared the videos to raise awareness in society. “I wanted to show how leaders sometimes give misleading messages. On one hand, you tell people not to drink alcohol. I just revealed the truth. Who drinks green tea at 1 AM? If someone is an alcoholic, they should not lie about it.” Rohini spoke to Dainik Bhaskar, answering questions about her relationship with Chandrashekhar Azad and the allegations of blackmail. Read on… Rohini’s father, Shiv Ghavari, is a sanitation worker, and her mother is Nutan Ghavari. She received a scholarship of Rs 1 crore from the state government for studies abroad and is pursuing her PhD in Switzerland. She is active in Dalit rights, reservation policies, and has represented India at the UN Human Rights Council. She first contacted Chandrashekhar in 2021 while working on a project about Dalit sanitation workers. Chandrashekhar gained prominence after the Hathras Manisha Valmiki case. Rohini wanted to consult him for her project. Communication began through some of his close associates. On June 3, 2021, Chandrashekhar called her for the first time. They met again in Delhi on October 25, 2021. During this period, he concealed his marriage and grew close to her, claiming that by marrying her, he could unite the Jatav-Valmiki community. Why FIR was not filed immediately Question: You have made serious allegations against Chandrashekhar Azad. If there is evidence, why didn’t you file an FIR or approach the court? Rohini: I have been trying to file an FIR since June. First, I approached a police station in Delhi, but nothing happened. On my lawyer’s advice, I filed an application in the Delhi Court. Allegations of political motive Question: Are you making allegations on behalf of political parties? Rohini: Without facts and proof, no one can accuse anyone. If someone thinks I am working for a political party, they must prove it publicly. I am not a politician. My fight is against injustice, not for any party. Claims of misuse of power by Chandrashekhar Question: You say Chandrashekhar ruined many Dalit girls. Is there concrete evidence? Why did no one complain earlier? Rohini: My claims are based on evidence. I have spoken to some of the girls. They said they were kept in the dark, just like me. He promised marriage, but when the topic arose, he abandoned them. In 2017, a girl from the Jatav community in Saharanpur filed an FIR, but she came from a poor family, and her voice was silenced. I, however, decided to stand up. Evidence Against Abusive Language Question: You said Chandrashekhar used abusive words against Mayawati and BSP. Have you given the recordings to Mayawati or the authorities? Rohini: I have such videos and can provide them to the investigative agency. They show him speaking very badly about the BSP, built by late Kanshi Ram Ji, and also using abusive language against Behan Ji (Mayawati). Rohini added that her respect for Mayawati has always been intact. Chandrashekhar wanted to portray that only he could lead the Dalit movement. He claimed Behan Ji did not deserve it. Marriage and secrecy Question: You say Chandrashekhar married in 2020. Why did you remain associated after knowing this? Rohini: Initially, I was unaware. I learned about it only after the elections. Even neighbours didn’t know that he had married Ravan. Some say it was a marriage under pressure. The woman was reportedly pregnant before marriage. During the lockdown, he was forced into a secret wedding to protect his movement. He disliked the woman so much that he called the marriage “contractual” and wanted to end it eventually. Even his mother publicly stated that her son was unmarried, though he had a son. I later found out they were living separately in Dwarka, Delhi. Proposal to merge with BSP Question: Did you discuss merging Chandrashekhar’s party with BSP? Wouldn’t that be “deal politics”? Rohini: Yes, I suggested merging. Our community is small, and too many parties weaken the movement. I told him that if he truly cared about society, he should speak to Behan Ji. On Mayawati’s birthday in January 2024, he told me to meet her. If she agreed, his party could merge, and BSP would lead the Bahujan movement. But his conditions were too difficult to accept. Even after this, I tried to arrange meetings with BSP leaders. But once he became an MP, Chandrashekhar’s attitude changed. He became scared and indecisive until election results arrived.