Sambhal: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, Yogi Adityanath, has made yet another communal statement, calling the Samajwadi Party (SP) candidate from Sambhal, Shafiq-ur-Rehman Burq, ‘Babur ki aulad’ (Babur’s child). He made the remark on the very day he returned to campaigning after the Election Commission’s 72-hour ban for his communal and inflammatory speeches got over.
Addressing a rally in Sambhal district, Yogi said, “What can be said about SP… It fielded a candidate in Sambhal who claims himself to be the descendant of Babar, hesitates in garlanding the statue of Baba Saheb and does not recite Vande Matram.” He further added, “Samajwadi Party mein aise aise pratyashi bana diye jate hain… ek baar sansad mein baitha tha… sanjog se sambhal se prayashi wohi SP ke vartaman pratyashi hain… Maine unse pucha, tumhare purvaj kahan se hain, yeh sajjan bol pare hum Babar ki aulad hain… (I had once asked a member in the Parliament, who is also the present SP candidate from here (Sambhal), about his ancestors and he replied ‘I am Babar’s descendent).”
He didn’t end his jibe there. Instead, he asked the crowd whether they wanted to hand over the country to those who are anti-development, anti-youth, traitors, terrorists and opposed to the believers of Lord Hanuman. He said, “Ek taraf Bharat ki astha ko samman dene wale Modi ji hain… Lekin dusari taraf apne ko Babur ki aulad kehne wala vyakti gathbandan ka pratyashi banke ata hai. Aap kya desh drohi ke hanthon mein desh ki bagdor saupna chahte hain…. atankwadion ke hath mein desh ki bagdor saupenge… apne ko Babur ki aulad kehne wale ko… Bajrang Bali ke virodhiyon ke hath mein desh ki bagdoor saupenge?” On one hand, there is Modi ji, who has brought respect to the country. Would you like to hand over the reins of the country to the traitors or terrorists or those who call themselves Babur’s successors and oppose Bajrang Bali ?
Paradoxically, he told the crowd that he has never asked for votes in the name of religion and caste. “Remember the Congress government when the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had said that Muslims had the first right over the country’s resources while Mayawati in a rally in Saharanpur asked Muslims to unite and vote for the BSP-SP alliance… I have never sought votes in the name of caste or religion,” he said.
Claiming that his government has worked for the development of all and yet subtly inserting communal undertones, he said, “Earlier governments used to discriminate… funds were given to graveyards and not to cremation grounds… electricity was supplied to Deva Sharif and not to Mahadeva ..this was discrimination.”
At another gathering in Hardoi, he attacked Azam Khan for his ‘underwear’ jibe against BJP candidate from Rampur, Jaya Prada.
Earlier during the campaign, he had made inciteful comments like “if the Congress, SP and BSP have faith in Ali, then we have faith in Bajrang Bali” and called the Indian Union Muslim League a ‘Green Virus’. For these statements he was handed a 72 hour ban by the Election Commission of India.
Sambhal district will go to polls in the third phase scheduled on April 23.