Only a mentally disturbed person can idolize Aurangzeb: UP CM Yogi Adityanath

Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday criticised opposition parties and those who glorify Mughal ruler Aurangzeb, questioning their mental state and intentions.

Speaking at a media event in Lucknow, he remarked that only a mentally disturbed person could consider Aurangzeb an ideal figure.

Adityanath was participating in an event -- Manthan: Kumbh and Beyond -- organised by the RSS-affiliated weekly Organiser.

His comments came amid a controversy sparked by Maharashtra Samajwadi Party MLA Abu Azmi's remarks on Aurangzeb, which led to his suspension from the state assembly until March 26 and multiple FIRs being filed against him for allegedly hurting public sentiments.

Addressing the gathering, Adityanath said, "Those who do not believe in India's Sanatan traditions and culture and instead conspire against them should also look at the fate of those they glorify. I say this with complete sincerity that only a mentally distorted person can consider Aurangzeb an ideal figure. I do not believe that any mentally mature or intelligent person would look up to such a cruel ruler."

Taking a sharp jibe, he added, "If someone truly believes this with full awareness, then they should first name their own son Aurangzeb. And they should also be prepared to face the kind of treatment Aurangzeb meted out to his father, Shah Jahan."

Adityanath further referred to Shah Jahan's own writings about Aurangzeb, stating, "Why should we hear about Aurangzeb from others when Shah Jahan himself wrote in his biography that no one should have a son as wretched as Aurangzeb? He lamented that even a Hindu son is better because he serves his parents while they are alive and offers water to their souls after their passing. But you, Aurangzeb, left me dying of thirst."

He said that Aurangzeb had imprisoned Shah Jahan in the Agra Fort, allowing him only a small pot of water every 24 hours, leading to his slow and painful death.

"Aurangzeb was the same man who had his own brother brutally murdered. If someone truly admires Aurangzeb, they should go ahead and name their children after him. I will congratulate them for their choice. But they should also be ready to face the consequences."

Concluding his remarks, Adityanath said, "May God give them wisdom to honour India's true heroes and stop idolising those who inflicted cruelty upon this land. This is a new India -- ”an India that respects its faith, aims to become the world's largest economy, and knows how to respond to those who try to undermine its traditions."