‘No Politics of Appeasement’: Adityanath in Rally at Akhlaq’s Village With Lynching Accused in Attendance

PTI, Apr 1, 2019, 9:49 AM IST

Noida (UP): Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday addressed a rally in Gautam Buddh Nagar’s Bisahada village, home to Mohammad Akhlaq who was allegedly lynched by a mob, and said the Modi government was working for all sections of the society.

He accused the previous governments of dividing people on the basis caste and indulging in “politics of appeasement” as he spoke in the village where Akhlaq was allegedly lynched in 2015 over suspicion of cow slaughter and storing beef in his house.

He alleged that the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) only worked for the development of their families, created caste divide for personal gains, engaged in appeasement politics and destroyed the social fabric of the country.

“But ever since Narendra Modi became the prime minister in May 2014, our government had said that it would not work for individuals, families, caste, or religion, but work for villages, the poor, youth, women, farmers and for every section of the society,” Adityanath told the rally where three-four accused in the lynching case, including Vishal Rana, were among those present.

“This was significant because, earlier there was Congress at the Centre whose supremo had said that a certain community has the first right on the country’s resources and by saying this they divided the majority and so did the SP and BSP governments. But Modi said his government would work for every section of the society and showed the will to walk his talk. The results of that will power can be seen today,” he said.

He said, earlier illegal slaughter houses were running without any check in the state and added, “Who does not know what had happened in Bisahda? Everybody knows it.”

“How shamefully the Samajwadi Party government tried to suppress the sentiments then and I can say as soon as our government was formed we got all illegal slaughter houses stopped in one go and ensured its strict implementation,” Adityanath said.

Hitting out at the SP and BSP, he said this is the same western UP where riots would occur from block level to district level every now and then and accused them of “conducting one side action to insult the majority community”.

“When these people, who had made Noida, Greater Noida and Yamuna Expressway (authorities) and other resources a means for illegal income, come here, ask them why they could not build a metro rail or pay dues of sugarcane farmers,” he asked the gathering.

The chief minister accused the previous governments of harassing the majority community by lodging false cases against them and thus creating a “breeding ground” for riots.

“During my two years, has there has been any Bisahada-like incident in the state? Has there been safety concern to sisters and mothers? No. This cannot happen because we have said that we will guarantee safety and development to 23 crore citizens of the state, bring every one into mainstream. We won’t differentiate between people but won’t engage in appeasement politics,” he said.

He said the law and order situation in UP and that in India under Modi has become exemplary. “I have been wanting for a long time to come to Bisahada and meet people of this region and nearby areas,” he said as he campaigned for Mahesh Sharma, the BJP candidate from Gautam Buddh Nagar.