Uttar Pradesh chief minister stokes fear about attacks on Hindu peoples

UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has brought Bangladesh into their internal politics, accusing opposition parties indulging in appeasement politics, says the Hindu.

These attacks leverage the alleged attacks on Hindu temples in Bangladesh and is not the first time he has used anti-muslim sentiment in his politics.

Responding to the charge, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav accused the Chief Minister of spreading fear and nursing Prime Ministerial ambitions.

Addressing a public meeting in Agra on Monday, Adityanath said, "Aap dekh rahe hain Bangladesh mein kya ho raha hai? Wo galatiyan yahan nahi honi chahiye. Batenge toh katenge! Ek rahenge toh nek rahenge, surakshit rahenge aur samriddhi ki parakashtha ko pahuchenge. (Are you seeing what is happening in Bangladesh? Those mistakes should not take place here. Divided, we will be slaughtered. If we remain united, we will be secure and reach the pinnacle of prosperity.)

Calling it a "disgraceful statement",  Yadav said it reflected  Adityanath's ambitions.  Yadav said relations with a foreign country fell under the domain of the Central government. "This is not the first time that the CM has spoken on these lines. We know he wants to be the PM. I wish his colleagues in Delhi make him understand not to meddle in the matters of Delhi."

Later, in a statement posted on X,  Yadav said the job of the responsible is to protect people from fear, not to spread it. "If these are someone's personal views, they are wrong. And if they are the views of a political party, they are even more abominable."

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi accused  Adityanath of delivering hate speeches against Muslims and said under  Adityanath's watch, Muslim homes were being demolished with bulldozers.

The Chief Minister's remarks have assumed political significance as they have come ahead of the upcoming Assembly by-polls on 10 seats in the State which, after the poor performance in the Lok Sabha polls, are expected to be a litmus test for the BJP as they will set the tone for 2027.

Political observers point out that bringing Bangladesh into the Brij region seemed like a studied move as on Sunday while participating in Krishna Janmashtami celebrations in Mathura,  Adityanath described Sanatan Dharma as the foremost religion on earth and went on to flay the Opposition parties for being silent on the happenings in Bangladesh. On his 36th visit to Mathura as Chief Minister, he accused them of raising the Palestine issue to serve the interests of their vote bank. "For us, nation comes first while for them politics is paramount," he said.