OPINION | On Hindutva, riots: Yogi at his vintage best

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is a politician of a different mettle. He says what he does, and he does what he says. This makes Yogi stand apart from other politicians.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday did not mince words in the Assembly, when he  said, " Chanting of 'Jai Sri Ram'  is neither communal, nor provocative, but a symbol of faith." He said, "People in India often greet each other with 'Ram Ram', and even during the funeral procession, 'Ram Naam Satya Hai' is chanted. Nothing can happen in India without Ram. Then how can you (opposition) call ‘Jai Sri Ram’ slogan communal?"

This was vintage Yogi at his best. He raised a basic question. "If a Muharram procession can pass through any locality peacefully, then why can't a Ramnavami or Hanuman Jayanti procession or idol immersion procession pass through a Muslim locality in peace? It is the duty of the government to provide security to all irrespective of religion. But if people start throwing stones, then it is also the responsibility of our government to catch every stone thrower and give punishment."   Yogi said, "India shall be run by the ideals of Ram, Krishna and Buddha, and not by the paths of Babur and Aurangzeb."

On the Sambhal riots, Yogi said the truth is now coming out. A temple in Sambhal was reopened after 46 years on Monday and broken idols were found inside a well. Yogi said, "The Muslims of western UP now want to go back to their roots. In Sambhal, it is a fight between Muslims of Turkish ancestors and Pathans." 

Normally, I find, politicians in India do not do as they say in public. There is often a difference in what they say in public and what they do. Yogi is a politician of a different mettle. He says what he does, and he does what he says. This makes Yogi stand apart from other politicians. Yogi replied to all questions that have been raised frequently. Like, Is Yogi working on the Hindutva agenda? Does Yogi’s government order the use of bulldozers against Muslim properties only? Are Hindus deliberately allowed to play DJ music at loud volume outside mosques? Do Hindus have a hand in communal riots? Is chanting of Jai Sri Ram a crime? Is hoisting a saffron flag a crime? 

Yogi's answers were quite clear. He made his "neeti"(policy) and "neeyat"(intent) quite clear. He did not mince words to say that India's culture and traditions do not belong to Babur and Aurangzeb, but to Ram, Krishna and Buddha. He explained how the use of bulldozers in UP is being done as per the Supreme Court's guidelines and no differentiation is made between Hindus and Muslims. Yogi quoted Baburnama and Allama Iqbal's poetry, and said, that the days are gone when people used to force their ideas on others at gunpoint.

On the death of five Muslims in Sambhal violence on November 24, Yogi gave details on how 209 Hindus died in riots in Sambhal from 1948 till 2024. In the 1978 riots in Sambhal, 184 Hindus were killed, but none of the so-called secular parties demanded justice for Hindus. Yogi said that during the Samajwadi Party's rule, there were riots between even Shias and Sunni Muslims, but during BJP's rule, this has come to an end.  The matter in Sambhal has now gone beyond the temple-moque dispute. Demographic statistics say, in 1947, there were 45 per cent of Hindus in Sambhal, but now hardly 15 per cent of Hindus stay in that town. Statistics say, a large number of Hindus migrated from Sabhal after the 1978 riots, and local Muslims bought Hindu properties at throwaway prices. Temples in Hindu localities were demolished. The truth has now tumbled out after broken idols were found inside the well of a temple that was reopened after 46 years.

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