The word ‘Hindu’ is Bharat’s identity, said Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in a TV interview on Saturday, February 27.
“Bharat ki pehchan hi Hindu hai”, he said.
The word “Hindutva” has been maligned by vested interests. “Hindutva is a symbol of Bharat’s nationality. It is our cultural identity. And, no one can progress by ignoring one’s cultural identity”, he added.
When asked about Uttar Pradesh’s “Love Jihad” law, the chief minister said the law applies equally to every religion and is for checking any kind of deceitful marriage.
The Uttar Pradesh government had changed the name of a few cities like Allahabad was changed to Prayagraj, Faizabad was changed to Ayodhya, Mughalsarai was changed to Din Dayal Upadhyay Nagar.
Justifying it the chief minister said the new names represent the old identities and cultural vibrancy of these places. “It was necessary to restore the Puranic identity of these places”, he said.
The western Uttar Pradesh has been witnessing growing support to the ongoing farmers’ protest. The farmers’ from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh are demanding repeal of the progressive farm laws enacted by the centre.
Narrating one personal experience, Yogi Adityanath said a delegation of the same farmers, who are protesting today, had met him after the laws were passed by the centre and expressed their happiness over fulfilling a longstanding demand of the farmers.
CM Yogi exuded confidence for forthcoming assembly elections and claimed the party would win 350 seats with its allies. The Bharatiya Janata Party had won 312 seats, out of 403, in 2017 assembly elections.
