Unease in UP, except in the east
Parts of the state believe Yogi Adityanath could focus on development, others remains cautious
There is hope in eastern UP and a sense of unease in the rest of the state. There is also an element of apprehension within the BJP.
The appointment of Mahant Yogi Adityanath as Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister — now known as Adityanath Yogi — has filled the Purvanchal region with hope.
Adityanath, the Mahant of the Goraksh Peeth in Gorakhpur, is already known for his philanthropic works that include running a 350-bed hospital that is open for all, irrespective of caste and religion, and also a kids’ care centre. His associates claim that Yogi’s administrative skills have been perfectly honed since he has been managing the various projects of the Goraksh Peeth and makes sure that there are no lapses.
The people of Purvanchal are now confident that the area will get the much needed development because Yogi is familiar with the problems of the region and has always focused his politics on this region.
With Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union home minister Rajnath Singh and now the Chief Minister also belonging to Purvanchal, development cannot and will not be allowed to take a back seat any longer.
Muslims in eastern UP are not apprehensive of Yogi Adityanath because they have already made peace with his brand of politics.
“He does not trouble Muslims unless they trouble him. He helps Muslims who approach him with their problems but does not tolerate the misdeeds of the community — whether it is eveteasing or land grabbing. His image of a Hindu hardliner has been cultivated by him and he carefully maintains it,” says Jamshed Khan, a journalist.
However, the sense of unease in the rest of Uttar Pradesh is also palpable and the reason for this is that Yogi Adityanath, till now, has only been known for his controversial communal statements — whether it is equating Shah Rukh Khan with Hafiz Saeed or putting Kairana at par with Kashmir or his views on ‘love jihad’ and ‘Ghar Vapsi’.
The Yogi also hit the headlines when he changed the names of places with Muslim names in Gorakhpur. Miyan Bazaar was changed to Maya Bazaar, Urdu Bazar to Hindi Bazaar and Ali Nagar became Arya Nagar.
Interestingly, Yogi’s appointment as CM had raised some apprehension within his own party. Some leaders feel that since the Chief Minister as well as both the deputy chief ministers lack any sort of administrative experience, handling such a populous state would be a Herculean task.