BJP trying to divert attention from poverty by talking about Hindu Rashtra: Mayawati

Alleging that UP CM Yogi Adityanath’s statement was made with an eye to the upcomong UP civic polls, Ms. Mayawati warns that excessive politics for electoral interest is dangerous

Blatant, selfish politics does not suit those sitting in high constitutional posts, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) president Mayawati said on Friday, in a sharp response to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s statement calling India a “Hindu Rashtra”. She asked how it was possible for a government to serve public interest if it openly violates its constitutional oath.

“Instead of taking pride in the ultra-humanist Constitution and working on it faithfully by doing public welfare, the BJP’s statement about the country being a Hindu nation before the UP civic body elections is an attempt to divert people’s attention from poverty, unemployment and price rise,” Ms. Mayawati wrote on Twitter, in Hindi.

“Such extreme selfish politics does not suit people sitting in high constitutional posts. How is public interest possible in that government’s rule which openly violates oath of the constitution,” asked the four-time former UP CM. Excessive politics for electoral interest is dangerous, she added.

In an interview a few days ago, Mr. Adityanath had described a Hindu identity as the cultural citizenship of every Indian, and termed India as a “Hindu Rashtra”, while adding that “Akhand Bharat” would become reality in coming times. “If a person from India goes to perform Haj, no one there accepts him as Haji, no one accepts him as Islam, there he is addressed by the name of Hindu, then he has no problem there. If seen in that context, India is a Hindu Rashtra, because every citizen of India is a Hindu,” said the UP CM. while adding that every Indian must have the highest regard for the Constitution, which is their guide.

The war of words over Hindus and Hinduism has accelerated over the last three weeks in UP after Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Swami Prasad Maurya alleged that the Ramcharitmanas written by Tulsidas contained objectionable language used against backward classes, Dalits and Adivasis. The statement led to criticism from the ruling BJP which said that the statement reflected the SP’s ideology on Hinduism. Radical Hindutva groups like the Akhil Bhartiya Hindu Mahasabha submitted a police complaint against Mr. Maurya, demanding action be taken for his remarks. The UP police lodged an FIR against Mr. Maurya and some people belonging to organisations named after Other Backward Classes (OBCs), who supported the SP leader’s statement.