Adityanath raises appeasement bogey ahead of polls

Pits Iftar events against curfews during Hindu festivals

The Chief Minister also alleged that during the “crisis” of COVID-19, only BJP and RSS workers along with the BJP governments in the State and at the Centre worked while all other parties were sleeping. File.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday said under previous governments, Opposition parties would compete with each other on who will hold more Iftar parties while curfews would be imposed during Hindu festivals.

“Earlier, they would compete with each other on who will hold more Iftar parties. Who would organise government programmes. But they don’t happen any more. If our status is secular, it will be equal for everyone,” Mr. Adityanath said.

Addressing representatives of the Lodh OBC caste, as part of the BJP’s outreach towards backward castes through

samajik pratinidhi sammelans , Mr. Adityanath claimed that earlier curfew would be imposed during Hindu festivals like Deepavali, Ramnavami, Durga Puja, Shivratri, Janmasthami, Vijayadashami and Holi, raising communal temperatures in the run-up to Assembly polls in 2022.

“Would not allow to celebrate festivals…they would imprison faith,” Mr. Adityanath alleged, adding that such things no longer happened under the BJP government.

‘Corona vanquished’

“

Aaj toh apki astha ke samne Corona bhi pasth ho gaya hain. Aapne dekha hoga jaise Vijayadashami ayi, Corona bhi samapt hua. Bade bhavyata ke saath Vijayadashami ke ayojan har jagah hue (Now even COVID-19 is defeated by your faith. You must have seen that when [the festival of ]Vijayadashami arrived, even COVID-19 came to an end. Vijayadashami was celebrated everywhere in a grand manner),” Mr. Adityanath said.

Diwali would be celebrated in a similar manner as COVID-19 was almost finished, he added.

The Chief Minister also alleged that during the “crisis” of COVID-19, only BJP and RSS workers along with the BJP governments in the State and at the Centre worked while all other parties were sleeping. “They were in home quarantine, in isolation. When during a crisis faced by the society, they can be in crisis, then even during election they must be sent into isolation,” Mr. Adityanath said.

Invokes Kalyan Singh

Addressing the Lodhs, Mr. Adityanath referred to the legacy of late former CM Kalyan Singh, and said he would be remembered as the head of the State when the Babri Masjid was demolished by a mob of ‘karsevaks’ in the presence of top BJP leaders on December 6, 1992 in Ayodhya. Kalyan Singh was a Lodh and perhaps their tallest leader in the State. The traditional farming community spread across parts of south-western and central U.P. are considered strong backers of the BJP.

“There is no Opposition leader who did not denounce Babuji [Kalyan Singh] on December 6, 1992, or did not put him in a courtroom. But he stood strong and took responsibility… damdar (strong),” Mr. Adityanath said.