With Assembly polls round the corner, firebrand BJP leader Yogi Adityanath today sought to play the religious card to woo the electorate.
Speaking at India TV’s Chunav Manch Conclave in Lucknow, the Gorakhpur MP outlined his agenda for the polls, saying the Hindu exodus from Kairana, love jihad and women’s safety are few issues that will dominate the state elections.
“Yogi is not talking about today, Yogi is talking about future. Exodus is a very big issue for us,” he said, adding that the ‘BJP will not let western Uttar Pradesh turn into another Kashmir’.
He claimed that in eastern part of the state, both Hindu and Muslim population are completely safe.
“In Eastern UP, if a Hindu is safe, so is a Muslim,” the leader said.
The BJP’s start campaigner further said that the issue of love jihad will certainly be an issue in the polls.
“Love jihad was then an issue, it is still an issue,” he said.
When asked about the agenda of his ‘anti-romeo squads’, the controversial leader said that the ‘force’ will work towards restoring the pride of women and end discriminations.
“There are areas in Western UP where girls can’t go to school. The squad will work for their rights and ensure the safety of women in the state,” he said.
The leader had recently announced to set up ‘anti-romeo squads’ across UP to deal with the incidents of eve teasing and others. He had even suggested for altering the name of Aligarh Muslim University in order to include the name of philanthropist, Raja Mahendra Pratap Singh, who donated his land for setting up the university.
The leader also lashed out at the Akhilesh Yadav government and others for wooing minorities in a Hindu majority society by announcing sops for them.
“Political leaders in this country speak against majority community in the name of secularism. Governments in UP gives land for kabristan (graveyard) but not for shamshan ghat (cremation ground),” he said.
If voted to power, the BJP’s development will be above caste and religion, he promised. “It will be ‘sabka sath sabka vikaas’”.
To a question on who gets the charge of the state if BJP comes to power, he preferred to doge the query.
“Face is not important, my wish is that BJP forms government in Uttar Pradesh,” he said.
When asked if he sees himself sitting at the top chair, the leader said, “There are more senior leaders than me in BJP, I can’t push them and seize power. We have Rajnath Singh, Kalraj Mishra and some other leaders who could become CM face.”
“Every BJP worker is capable of becoming a UP CM,” he added.
“I am not hungry for a ministerial post, just want to see development in UP,” he opined.
India TV is holding yet another edition of its a full-day mega conclave “Chunav Manch” right from the nerve-centre of Lucknow from where all the big political headlines are endlessly being generated for months now.
