According to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Muslims are secure in Uttar Pradesh if Hindus are protected, and people of all faiths are safe there. Mr. Adityanath declared that he is a “Yogi” and desires for everyone’s happiness in an interview with news agency. Highlighting Hindus’ religious tolerance, he said, “A Muslim family is the safest among 100 Hindu families. They will have the freedom to practise all religious customs. But can 50 Hindus be safe among 100 Muslim families? No. Bangladesh is an example. Before this, Pakistan was an example. What happened in Afghanistan? If there is smoke or someone is being hit, we should be careful before we get hit. That is what needs to be taken care of.”
Since the BJP took office in 2017, there haven’t been any communal riots in the state, according to the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh. “In Uttar Pradesh, Muslims are the safest. If Hindus are safe, then they are also safe. If there were riots in UP before 2017, if Hindu shops were burning, then Muslim shops were also burning. If Hindu houses were burning, then Muslim houses were also burning. And after 2017, the riots stopped,” he added.
“I am an ordinary citizen, a citizen of Uttar Pradesh. I am a Yogi who wishes for everyone’s happiness. I believe in everyone’s support and development,” he said. Sanatan Dharma is the oldest religion in the world, according to Mr. Adityanath, who also emphasized that there are no instances of Hindu kings gaining control over other people throughout history.
“Sanatan Dharma is the most ancient religion and culture in the world. You can guess from its name. Sanatan Dharma followers have not converted others to their faith. But what have they received in return? What did they gain in exchange? There is no example anywhere in the world where Hindu rulers, using their strength, have established dominion over others. Such instances do not exist,” Mr Adityanath said.
The fiery BJP leader claimed that the BJP gains from “specimens” like Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha. He said that Bharat Jodo Abhiyaan, the Congress leader’s statewide march, was actually “Bharat Todo Abhiyan.” “He criticises India outside India. The country has understood his nature and intentions. It is important for the BJP that some specimens like Rahul (Gandhi) remain so that the path is always clear,” he said.
He claimed that the Congress wanted the Ayodhya issue to stay controversial. “Why did the Congress not abolish three-talaq? Why did the Congress not promote Kumbh with so much pride and divinity? Why did Congress fail to provide world-class infrastructure in the country?” he asked.
Important Hindu religious structures are emblems of India’s legacy, according to the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, who is also the mahant of the Gorakhnath Temple. “Whatever it is, we will find it. We will show the world. Those whom God has given eyes, let them see. What happened in Sambhal? Sambhal is the truth,” he said. A group of petitioners claimed that the Shahi Jama Masjid was constructed on the remains of an old temple, putting Sambhal in the center of a legal dispute.
“Islam says places of worship constructed after destroying Hindu temples are not accepted by God. Then why were they built?” he asked. He said the government would continue to revive temples as more evidence is found. “The scientific evidence is present. We are showing where they are, and we will address them one by one.”
“We are abiding by the court’s decision; otherwise, who knows what could have happened by now?” he responded when asked about the controversy surrounding the Mathura mosque.
