The choice of Yogi Adityanath of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), as the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, in the countries most populous state (200 m population with around 40 m Muslims) has shocked most liberal Indians as well as people from around the world. He is rabidly anti-Muslim and has openly called for a ‘Hindu rashtra (nation)’. He has often told people to leave India if they do not do the Surya Namaskarand and called the promotion and marketing of Mother Teresa as being a conspiracy to Christianize India. The New York Times has written a strong editorial against him and questioned the direction that Narendra Modi is taking after his strong victory in the state elections. Election pundits see a very good chance for BJP to win the 2019 elections as well.
Read more: New York Times: Firebrand Hindu Cleric Yogi Adityanath Picked as Uttar Pradesh Minister
Adityanath, after being made the CM, has commented that law and order will be his top priority and has vowed to “work for all sections of the society without any discrimination”. This last comment of the CM raises questions given his past views.
Back in the Year 2007-08
In Siddharthnagar, UP, a rally by the name of Virat Hindu Chetna was organized by Hindu Yuva Vahini. At this rally, Yogi Adityanath, explained the need for this organization.
Yogi Adityanath’s co-speaker in the same rally asks for Muslim women to be taken out from graves and be raped.
The rally was full of anti-Muslim speeches. The Hindu leaders, at that rally, openly expressed their hatred for the Muslims in general and the Indian Muslims in particular. One of the speakers asked for Muslim women to be taken out from graves and raped.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ddD70NBZo4
In his speech, Adityanath claimed that Hindu culture and Muslim culture can never co-exist and that a religious war is inevitable. Further, he stressed that the Hindus need to get organized and face this challenge in the most aggressive fashion possible. He stated that Hindu Yuva Vahini is doing the work of uniting Hindus.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZ4-TLc0LIE
Read more: BJP wins India’s biggest state Uttar Pradesh, strengthens Modi’s grip on power
Yet another speaker promised that after the formation of Hindu Rashtra, the voting rights of Muslims will be taken away. He stated that Muslims of India will be treated as the 2nd class citizens.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNCtUCgADs8
Narendra Modi and Amit Shah have now chosen Yogi Adityanath as the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh. The decision raises many questions, as U.P has the largest Muslim population in India and India’s calling itself secular. Modi himself was implicated in the death of 2000 Muslims, during a three-day riot, when he was the Chief Minister of Gujrat.