The latest statement of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who is often in the headlines for his statements, has become a topic of discussion among people. While addressing a program, he gave the slogan ‘If we divide, we will be cut off’. Referring to the situation in Bangladesh, the Chief Minister said that there is no need to divide, if we remain united, we will remain noble and safe. The purpose is to unite the votes divided on the basis of caste back on the basis of religion. It is being said that this is the slogan that can prevent BJP from taking a step back in the political battle between caste and religion.
In fact, calling the old pension scheme a freebie, the Modi government at the Center has brought UPS i.e. Unified Pension Scheme. The opposition said that U means U-turn in it. The Waqf Bill was presented with great fanfare and sent to the JPC. It was claimed that the allies also wanted the same thing at the moment. Lateral entry in the Center was withdrawn after questions were raised in the reservation dispute. The capital gains tax related to property was amended after opposition. The Broadcasting Bill 2024 was put on hold for the time being. When the Supreme Court talked about creamy layer in SC-ST reservation, the government immediately said that it will not allow it to be implemented. The double bench of the High Court canceled the merit list in the 69000 teacher recruitment in UP, the Yogi government said that everyone’s interests will be taken care of.
Now within 78 days after the Lok Sabha elections, every step from Delhi to Uttar Pradesh is being taken with caution. And then Akhilesh Yadav claims that the next U-turn will be taken by the BJP on caste reservation. The SP supremo said, “You will see, BJP will also walk on the same path, a year ago it was said that BJP will also accept and come forward for caste census. BJP is going to become a U-turn party very soon and will take a U-turn in caste census as well.” On the other hand, Rahul Gandhi emphasizes that BJP cannot stop caste census even if it wants to. It has to be done.
In the face of these divisive arrows coming out of the quiver of caste, now suddenly on the day of Krishna Janmashtami, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath made an aggressive political statement. He said, “Nothing can be greater than the nation and when will the nation be strong, when we remain united, remain noble. If we are divided, we will be cut down, you are seeing it, you are seeing it in Bangladesh, those mistakes should not happen here.”
This statement was given by Yogi Adityanath who had come to Agra to unveil the statue of Veer Durgadas Rathore who fought against Aurangzeb.
Mention of Bangladesh, concern about Uttar Pradesh?
CM Yogi has mentioned Bangladesh in his statement. But the concern is about Uttar Pradesh. In such a situation, the political question that arises is whether Yogi Adityanath has once again caught the pulse of Hindu interests, through which the caste fever fueled by the opposition can be measured and treated? Hindus are a minority in Bangladesh. It is true that after Sheikh Hasina’s ouster from power, atrocities have been committed even more on the Hindus of Bangladesh. But why is it mentioned in Uttar Pradesh? Why was the concern of being divided and cut off put before the majority Hindus in UP? Where the double engine is of BJP only.
The opposition is saying that Yogi Adityanath is giving the statement that if we divide, we will be cut to save his chair. But those who know politics see even bigger politics in this statement, this slogan. Religion and caste. These two cards of politics have been in use for decades. In the 90s, when Mandal and Kamandal came face to face, the slogans that were coined need to be looked at. Hindutva people used to give slogans in favour of BJP that the one who will talk about Hindu interests will rule the country. In response to this, the slogan used to come from the politics of backward classes, “Jiski jitni sankta bhaaari, uski utni bhaagidari”.
In 2022, the slogan of 80 vs 20 was given
Before the 2022 assembly elections, the slogan ’80 vs 20′ came up, which was coined by Yogi Adityanath himself. Here 80 means majority votes and 20 means minority votes. When a controversy arose, the answer to this was 85 vs 15, that is, 85 percent are backward, Dalit and minority, the remaining 15 percent are only upper caste Hindus. And when BJP has lost the votes of backward and Dalits in the Lok Sabha elections, then can the slogan given by Yogi Adityanath bring back the votes divided on the basis of castes by uniting them in the circle of religion?
Did Yogi Adityanath’s slogan change as seats decreased?
The question has been raised that if there is a new updated version of 80 vs 20 in the politics of 2022, if they divide then they will be cut? Why did he mention the situation in Bangladesh and say that if they divide then they will be cut? Is it because the castes whose votes were united on the basis of Hindu religion till now, got divided this time? In Uttar Pradesh itself, if BJP lost 29 seats in 2024 as compared to 2019, then the major reason for this was Koiri-Kurmi vote decreased by 19 percent, other OBC vote decreased by 15 percent, Yadav vote decreased by 9 percent, non-Jatav Dalit vote decreased by 20 percent. The votes of castes which were united with BJP in the name of religion, got scattered and this caused loss to BJP not only in UP but also in other parts of the country.
The result of this is that Rahul neither leaves the topic of the Constitution nor of caste reservation. When Rahul Gandhi went on his first tour of Uttar Pradesh after the elections, he stopped at a cobbler’s shop. He stitched shoes. He helped the cobbler. Then he met the victim’s family of a Dalit massacre in Rae Bareli. Now when he went to Prayagraj, he reiterated the topic of caste census. When the opposition is challenging by scraping the votes stuck with the glue of religion with the edge of caste, Yogi Adityanath seems to be trying to appease the majority of the country by mentioning the Hindus of Bangladesh.
In such a situation, you will have a question in your mind that why are people being reminded of the Hindus of Bangladesh that if they are divided, they will be cut? Because since the elections, the opposition has been taking advantage of the political narrative of accusing the BJP of being anti-constitutional, anti-reservation, anti-backward, then the answers given by the BJP have been such that the opposition is against the Ram temple. The opposition is anti-power. The opposition is anti-Sanatan. Congress itself had imposed emergency. The opposition does Muslim appeasement. But its effect has not been seen much. The reason is that among the current voters of the country, a large number of voters are such who neither remember the emergency. Nor do they remember the Ram Mandir movement of the 90s. But whatever is happening in Bangladesh right now is the present. Then does Yogi Adityanath think that the caste ploy of the opposition can be answered by reminding the decreasing Hindus in Bangladesh and the atrocities on them?
(Aaj Tak Bureau)
