Yogi Adityanath: 'Muslims did no favour to India by staying here'
5 February 2020
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Muslims who chose to stay in India when it was partitioned following independence from Britain did the country "no favours", Yogi Adityanath, one of India's most controversial right-wing politicians, has said.
"They should have opposed partition, which led to the formation of Pakistan," he told BBC Hindi's Nitin Srivastava in an exclusive interview.
Mr Adityanath is the chief minister of the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, India's most populous state and home to nearly a quarter of India's 200 million Muslims. He is also a top leader in the governing Bharatiya Janata Party, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
His government has recently been accused of using excessive force against protesters, especially Muslims, opposing a contentious new citizenship law. But Mr Adityanath has denied these widespread allegations, even though they have been backed by compelling evidence.
Who's the Hindu hardliner running India's most populous state?
Why fear has gripped Muslims in this Indian state
The 47-year-old, saffron-robed, head priest of an influential Hindu temple is no stranger to controversy - he has made headlines for his hardline rhetoric, often directed against Muslims.
His comments appear to have intensified amid anti-government protests spurred by the citizenship law, known as the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).
Image copyrightGETTY IMAGES
Image caption
Mr Adityanath (R) is a close ally of PM Modi
It offers amnesty to non-Muslim illegal immigrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. It has been criticised for targeting Muslims, but Mr Modi's government insists it does no such thing, and only seeks to indentify unauthorised immigrants.
But the law sparked massive protests in December, including large sit-in demonstrations, some of which are still continuing. The most notable of these is in Delhi's Shaheen Bagh, where hundreds of Muslim women have been camped out in protest for more than a month now.
In a veiled reference to the protesters in Shaheen Bagh, the chief minister told the BBC: "Men of a particular community, who are cowards, are sitting in their quilts and sending women and children out of their homes to protest against this law."
While accepting that "everyone has the right to peacefully protest in India", he claimed that the protest in Shaheen Bagh was "not peaceful, and was causing trouble to commuters and residents".
Media captionThree generations of one family join women camped out in a Delhi suburb in protest against the citizenship law
The protest has been peaceful, but its location on one of Delhi's biggest roads has led to traffic snarls, although demonstrators allow emergency vehicles to pass through.
But this is not the first time Mr Adiyanath has spoken out against the protests in Shaheen Bagh.
During the interview, he repeated an accusation he has levelled against Arvind Kejriwal, the chief minister of the national capital, Delhi: that he "feeds hundreds of protesting women and children biryani", a popular rice-based dish that's associated with Muslim cuisine.
Image copyrightGETTY IMAGES
Image caption
The citizenship law has sparked huge protests
This is a claim he has made while campaigning for this Saturday's state election in Delhi, where he has invoked "Hindu nationalistic pride", while ridiculing neighbouring Pakistan.
Mr Kejrwal, a fierce critic of the BJP and Mr Modi, is up for re-election. His party won an emphatic victory in 2015, defeating all opposition, including the BJP.
"We aren't the biryani-eating people", Mr Adityanath has said on the campaign trail, adding that after becoming PM, Mr Modi has been "shooting terrorists with bullets rather than giving them biryani."
He told the BBC he stood by this statement.
The protests against the CAA saw hundreds injured, and many even died amid violent clashes with police. And protesters often accused the police of using excessive force against them.
Media caption'Our son was shot dead by police'
Nowhere have the allegations been more serious than in Mr Adityanath's Uttar Pradesh, where at least 19 people died in the protests.
There have been numerous of reports of intimidation and threats against Muslims - videos from Kanpur city show policemen allegedly vandalising cars and homes in Muslim-populated areas. Thousands, mostly Muslim men, were detained across the state. The BBC reported on similar incidents in other cities.
Mr Adityanath justified the firing against "violent protesters", while denying allegations of police using force against peaceful protesters. He said, "armed, rampaging mobs were dealt with by the police when they started damaging public property".
Image copyrightGETTY IMAGES
Image caption
Police in Uttar Pradesh have been accused of using excessive force by protesters
Asked if he would order action against protesters again, he said, "Yes, if they damage public property in the garb of opposing a law, which is non-discriminatory."
His government has also been accused of a series of extra-judicial killings since Mr Adityanath came to power in March 2017 - a charge he denied.
"There have been no [such] killings", he said. "People opposing me have been spreading false rumours but my administration is running superbly. The truth will be out soon."
'Muslims Did No Favour by Staying Back in India': Amid CAA Stir, Yogi Adityanath Rakes Up PartitionATS Takes Custody of Gauri Lankesh Murder Accused in Arms Haul CaseBengaluru Civic Body Razes Down 70% of Four-storey Building That Tilted Dangerously to the LeftFather-Son Duo Arrested After Stealing Rs 11 Crore From Businessman With False Investment Schemes
PrevNext
NEWS18 » INDIA1-MIN READ
'Muslims Did No Favour by Staying Back in India': Amid CAA Stir, Yogi Adityanath Rakes Up Partition
The UP chief minister's statements come amid intense protest in the country against the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act, and ahead of the Delhi polls due for February 8.
News18.comUpdated:February 6, 2020, 12:05 PM ISTfacebookTwitter Pocket
'Muslims Did No Favour by Staying Back in India': Amid CAA Stir, Yogi Adityanath Rakes Up PartitionFile photo of Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath.
New Delhi: Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath, who has been in the center of controversy for his communally divisive statements, has another one to add to his account. In an interview to a foreign publication, he said that Muslims who chose to stay in India when it was partitioned did the country "no favours."
The chief minister maintained that "they should have opposed partition, which led to the formation of Pakistan." He was speaking BBC Hindi's Nitin Srivastava in an exclusive interview.
Adityanath's statements come amid intense protest in the country against the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act, and ahead of the Delhi polls due for February 8.
His comments before the polls have earned him much criticism. The ruling AAP in Delhi appealed to the Election Commission to bar Adityanath from campaigning given his communally divisive statements.
At an election rally, the UP chief minister had earlier made provocative speeches against Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal by referring him as a "terrorist." He also alleged that the AAP is "sponsoring" the anti-CAA protests at Shaheen Bagh.
Adityanath is also infamous for relating anti-CAA protesters to "Pakistan."
‘Muslims Did No Favor by Staying Back in India’: CM Adityanath On Partition
by News DeskFebruary 6, 2020
Yogi Adityanath is the CM of the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous state and home to nearly a quarter of India’s 200 million Muslims.
Uttar Pradesh CM Ajay Singh Bisht also known as Yogi Adityanath is one of the key campaigners for the BJP in the upcoming Delhi assembly polls has in an interview to BBC Hindi made strong statements with regards to anti-CAA and NRC protesters in Delhi.
When the interviewer said that Muslims participating in the anti-CAA protest at Shaheen Bagh belong to the families which decided not to go to Pakistan which was carved out on a religious basis during partition.
Yogi Adityanath in reply reportedly said, “Inhone koi upkar nahin kiya. Inhone Bharat par koi upkar nahin kiya tha (They did no favour to India)“.
“They should have opposed partition, which led to the formation of Pakistan,” he added. He further said that one needs to vehemently oppose those who are anti-India.
Also Read: BJP doesn’t want victory that is achieved with hatred says Rajnath Singh at Delhi rally
Ever since Yogi Adityanath began campaigning in Delhi, he has been making strong statements, including accusing the Arvind Kejriwal led AAP government of supporting the Shaheen Bagh protesters and feeding them Biryani.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath who is one of the star campaigners for the BJP in the upcoming Delhi assembly polls. He is also a top leader in the governing Bharatiya Janata Party, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
His government has recently been accused of using excessive force against protesters, especially Muslims, opposing a contentious new citizenship law. But UP’s CM has denied these strong allegations, even though they have been backed by compelling evidence.
Adityanath’s statements come amid intense protest in the country against the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act, and ahead of the critical Delhi polls due for February 8.
5 February 2020
Share this with Facebook Share this with Messenger Share this with Twitter Share this with Email Share
Image copyrightGETTY IMAGES
Muslims who chose to stay in India when it was partitioned following independence from Britain did the country "no favours", Yogi Adityanath, one of India's most controversial right-wing politicians, has said.
"They should have opposed partition, which led to the formation of Pakistan," he told BBC Hindi's Nitin Srivastava in an exclusive interview.
Mr Adityanath is the chief minister of the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, India's most populous state and home to nearly a quarter of India's 200 million Muslims. He is also a top leader in the governing Bharatiya Janata Party, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
His government has recently been accused of using excessive force against protesters, especially Muslims, opposing a contentious new citizenship law. But Mr Adityanath has denied these widespread allegations, even though they have been backed by compelling evidence.
Who's the Hindu hardliner running India's most populous state?
Why fear has gripped Muslims in this Indian state
The 47-year-old, saffron-robed, head priest of an influential Hindu temple is no stranger to controversy - he has made headlines for his hardline rhetoric, often directed against Muslims.
His comments appear to have intensified amid anti-government protests spurred by the citizenship law, known as the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).
Image copyrightGETTY IMAGES
Image caption
Mr Adityanath (R) is a close ally of PM Modi
It offers amnesty to non-Muslim illegal immigrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. It has been criticised for targeting Muslims, but Mr Modi's government insists it does no such thing, and only seeks to indentify unauthorised immigrants.
But the law sparked massive protests in December, including large sit-in demonstrations, some of which are still continuing. The most notable of these is in Delhi's Shaheen Bagh, where hundreds of Muslim women have been camped out in protest for more than a month now.
In a veiled reference to the protesters in Shaheen Bagh, the chief minister told the BBC: "Men of a particular community, who are cowards, are sitting in their quilts and sending women and children out of their homes to protest against this law."
While accepting that "everyone has the right to peacefully protest in India", he claimed that the protest in Shaheen Bagh was "not peaceful, and was causing trouble to commuters and residents".
Media captionThree generations of one family join women camped out in a Delhi suburb in protest against the citizenship law
The protest has been peaceful, but its location on one of Delhi's biggest roads has led to traffic snarls, although demonstrators allow emergency vehicles to pass through.
But this is not the first time Mr Adiyanath has spoken out against the protests in Shaheen Bagh.
During the interview, he repeated an accusation he has levelled against Arvind Kejriwal, the chief minister of the national capital, Delhi: that he "feeds hundreds of protesting women and children biryani", a popular rice-based dish that's associated with Muslim cuisine.
Image copyrightGETTY IMAGES
Image caption
The citizenship law has sparked huge protests
This is a claim he has made while campaigning for this Saturday's state election in Delhi, where he has invoked "Hindu nationalistic pride", while ridiculing neighbouring Pakistan.
Mr Kejrwal, a fierce critic of the BJP and Mr Modi, is up for re-election. His party won an emphatic victory in 2015, defeating all opposition, including the BJP.
"We aren't the biryani-eating people", Mr Adityanath has said on the campaign trail, adding that after becoming PM, Mr Modi has been "shooting terrorists with bullets rather than giving them biryani."
He told the BBC he stood by this statement.
The protests against the CAA saw hundreds injured, and many even died amid violent clashes with police. And protesters often accused the police of using excessive force against them.
Media caption'Our son was shot dead by police'
Nowhere have the allegations been more serious than in Mr Adityanath's Uttar Pradesh, where at least 19 people died in the protests.
There have been numerous of reports of intimidation and threats against Muslims - videos from Kanpur city show policemen allegedly vandalising cars and homes in Muslim-populated areas. Thousands, mostly Muslim men, were detained across the state. The BBC reported on similar incidents in other cities.
Mr Adityanath justified the firing against "violent protesters", while denying allegations of police using force against peaceful protesters. He said, "armed, rampaging mobs were dealt with by the police when they started damaging public property".
Image copyrightGETTY IMAGES
Image caption
Police in Uttar Pradesh have been accused of using excessive force by protesters
Asked if he would order action against protesters again, he said, "Yes, if they damage public property in the garb of opposing a law, which is non-discriminatory."
His government has also been accused of a series of extra-judicial killings since Mr Adityanath came to power in March 2017 - a charge he denied.
"There have been no [such] killings", he said. "People opposing me have been spreading false rumours but my administration is running superbly. The truth will be out soon."
'Muslims Did No Favour by Staying Back in India': Amid CAA Stir, Yogi Adityanath Rakes Up PartitionATS Takes Custody of Gauri Lankesh Murder Accused in Arms Haul CaseBengaluru Civic Body Razes Down 70% of Four-storey Building That Tilted Dangerously to the LeftFather-Son Duo Arrested After Stealing Rs 11 Crore From Businessman With False Investment Schemes
PrevNext
NEWS18 » INDIA1-MIN READ
'Muslims Did No Favour by Staying Back in India': Amid CAA Stir, Yogi Adityanath Rakes Up Partition
The UP chief minister's statements come amid intense protest in the country against the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act, and ahead of the Delhi polls due for February 8.
News18.comUpdated:February 6, 2020, 12:05 PM ISTfacebookTwitter Pocket
'Muslims Did No Favour by Staying Back in India': Amid CAA Stir, Yogi Adityanath Rakes Up PartitionFile photo of Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath.
New Delhi: Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath, who has been in the center of controversy for his communally divisive statements, has another one to add to his account. In an interview to a foreign publication, he said that Muslims who chose to stay in India when it was partitioned did the country "no favours."
The chief minister maintained that "they should have opposed partition, which led to the formation of Pakistan." He was speaking BBC Hindi's Nitin Srivastava in an exclusive interview.
Adityanath's statements come amid intense protest in the country against the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act, and ahead of the Delhi polls due for February 8.
His comments before the polls have earned him much criticism. The ruling AAP in Delhi appealed to the Election Commission to bar Adityanath from campaigning given his communally divisive statements.
At an election rally, the UP chief minister had earlier made provocative speeches against Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal by referring him as a "terrorist." He also alleged that the AAP is "sponsoring" the anti-CAA protests at Shaheen Bagh.
Adityanath is also infamous for relating anti-CAA protesters to "Pakistan."
‘Muslims Did No Favor by Staying Back in India’: CM Adityanath On Partition
by News DeskFebruary 6, 2020
Yogi Adityanath is the CM of the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous state and home to nearly a quarter of India’s 200 million Muslims.
Uttar Pradesh CM Ajay Singh Bisht also known as Yogi Adityanath is one of the key campaigners for the BJP in the upcoming Delhi assembly polls has in an interview to BBC Hindi made strong statements with regards to anti-CAA and NRC protesters in Delhi.
When the interviewer said that Muslims participating in the anti-CAA protest at Shaheen Bagh belong to the families which decided not to go to Pakistan which was carved out on a religious basis during partition.
Yogi Adityanath in reply reportedly said, “Inhone koi upkar nahin kiya. Inhone Bharat par koi upkar nahin kiya tha (They did no favour to India)“.
“They should have opposed partition, which led to the formation of Pakistan,” he added. He further said that one needs to vehemently oppose those who are anti-India.
Also Read: BJP doesn’t want victory that is achieved with hatred says Rajnath Singh at Delhi rally
Ever since Yogi Adityanath began campaigning in Delhi, he has been making strong statements, including accusing the Arvind Kejriwal led AAP government of supporting the Shaheen Bagh protesters and feeding them Biryani.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath who is one of the star campaigners for the BJP in the upcoming Delhi assembly polls. He is also a top leader in the governing Bharatiya Janata Party, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
His government has recently been accused of using excessive force against protesters, especially Muslims, opposing a contentious new citizenship law. But UP’s CM has denied these strong allegations, even though they have been backed by compelling evidence.
Adityanath’s statements come amid intense protest in the country against the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act, and ahead of the critical Delhi polls due for February 8.
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