Yogi jokes about Cong-SP, compares them to ‘Bhasmasur’

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday slammed the INDIA bloc’s partners, the Congress and the Samajwadi Party (SP), saying they had hurt the sentiments of Hindus and misused the powers given to the people during previous terms.

“SP leaders are labelling India’s religious leaders and cultural icons as mafia. Congress and SP are like ‘Bhasmasur’ (a demon who has the power to burn whatever he touches) because they are harming the very people who give them power,” Adityanath said.

He addressed a group of supporters at the Ghanta Ghar Ramlila Ground in Ghaziabad on Wednesday afternoon after laying the foundation stone for projects worth ₹757 crore. The CM distributed appointment letters to over 10,000 youth, tablets/smartphones to over 6,000 youth and provided loans of over ₹327 crore to 632 beneficiaries.

Reflecting on the past governance, the CM alleged, “Before 2014, the Congress-led central government introduced laws to oppress Hindus, tried to dismantle the Ram Setu, obstructed the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya and promoted terrorism in Kashmir. The Congress undermined the country’s security.”

Adityanath alleged that all those recently arrested for endangering the safety of their daughters had links with the SP.

The Prime Minister also accused the SP of succumbing to mafia and criminals during their rule in the state and of calling religious leaders ‘mafia’. He was referring to the recent statement by SP president Akhilesh Yadav, in which he said that ‘there is not much difference between mathadheesh (head of a street dog) and mafia.’

Adityanath said, “The mafia and rioters were a primary source of income for the opposition. Today, these political patrons are in distress due to the disappearance of the mafia and rioters.”

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Adityanath poetically addressed the Opposition: “Nazar nahin hai, nazaron ki baat karte hain, zamin pe chand-sitaron ki baat karte hain. Wo hath jodkar lootne wale, bhari sabha mein sudharon ki baat karte hain (They talk of vision without sight, talk of moon and stars while standing on the ground. Those who looted people with folded hands now speak of reforms in full rallies.)

“It seems that Aurangzeb’s soul has really entered into them and they are calling saints mafias. It is because of such people that people from Kairana and Kandhla have migrated. However, traders and women are safe in the new UP. We cannot tolerate goondaism and mafia rule,” Yogi added.

The CM also announced that he had submitted a proposal for setting up a satellite centre of Delhi’s AIIMS, in Ghaziabad. “Similar services will be made available here in Ghaziabad. We have submitted our proposal for this,” Adityanath said.

The Ghaziabad assembly seat is among the 10 seats in UP that will go to by-elections in the coming months. In the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections, the BJP got only 33 of the 80 seats in Uttar Pradesh. Its INDIA bloc partners, the SP and the Congress, made huge gains, winning 37 and 6 seats respectively.

In the upcoming by-elections, the ruling BJP is likely to face stiff opposition from the Congress-SP alliance as the ‘UP ke ladke’ idea resonated well with the people of the state during the LS election campaigns.

Adityanath hit out at the two parties and said “do ladko ki Jodi” (Rahul and Akhilesh) came to UP to mislead people and did nothing for others but only for their own families.

“When people gave them power, they misused it just like the Bhasmasura used it in ancient times. While the previous government at the Centre was oppressing Hindus and creating obstacles in the construction of the Ram temple and allowing extremism to flourish in Kashmir, the SP was also on the same track. Goondas were flourishing here and there were riots every other day,” Yogi said.