Yogi Adityanath is BJP’s Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister

Yogi Adityanath has been hand picked by PM Modi and Amit Shah as the Chief Minister for this large state and will take oath in Lucknow, on Sunday noon in the presence of both.

Many forces were responsible for the BJP victory in Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. One of the most important is their anti-Muslim stance, which was symbolised by the fact that they did not field a single Muslim candidate. Instead they recruited the militant support of all those accused in creating riots and causing arson- Mau riots(2005) and the more recent Muzaffarnagar riots.

A junior ‘Bal Thackeray’

Yogi Adityanath, as Head of the powerful Gorakhnath temple in Gorakhpur, Purvanchal is a controversial leader known for building his politics on religious polarisation- one who baits the Muslims and openly issues threats. One who is directly involved in both riots. A 44 year-old priest, he belongs to the Rajput community, is a 5-time MP from Gorakhpur and has a legacy of violence in East Uttar Pradesh. For this election , he was deployed all over U.P to preach his militant Hindutva legacy.

“If a single Hindu is killed, we will not go to the authorities, but instead murder 10 people [in return],” Adityanath has said in his fiery speeches. Adityanath tells Muslims to bow to the Hindu majority. “If any organisation refuses to chant ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’ or sing Vande Mataram, like we smashed the Babri Masjid, we will smash it.”

“If you want to live in this area, you’ll have to take the name of Yogi.”

Yogi Adityanath’s ‘ Hindu Yuva Vahini’ is a militant outfit of youth on motorcycles, carrying swords and responsible for many instances of violence, accompanied by the chant, ‘Har Har Mahadev’.

The story goes that his yuva vahini rescued and escorted BJP President, Amit Shah when he visited Azamgarh, while campaigning for 2014 Lok Sabha election.

“If you want to live in this area, you’ll have to take the name of Yogi.” This is the chant in all his gatherings in Gorakhpur. Will it now become the chant of whole of Uttar Pradesh?