UP should achieve its goals by staying united: CM Adityanath on demands to divide state into 4

Mahakumbh Nagar: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday voiced strong disapproval of some demands to divide the state into four, saying the potential of Uttar Pradesh lies in its unity.

In an exclusive interview to Network18 Group Editor-in-Chief Rahul Joshi at the ongoing Maha Kumbh Mela, he also urged people to take forward the message of unity and said the country will be strong if Sanatan dharma is strong.

Adityanath said Uttar Pradesh should maintain its identity and respect by staying united, also assuring that the state would soon attain the goal of becoming a $1 trillion economy.

"UP is UP in itself and this is its potential. I think UP should achieve its goals by staying united and I think that is its strength. That is its identity and its respect," the chief minister said when asked about BSP chief Mayawati's past statements that the state should be divided into four.

Mayawati had contended that Uttar Pradesh is a very large state with 80 MPs representing it in the Lok Sabha. After the delimitation exercise, there will be around 850 seats, and the state will have about 150 seats.

Adityanath also said the message of the Maha Kumbh is the message of unity and integrity, and this should go out to the world.

"If all the saints, devotees or even tourists, who are part of the Maha Kumbh, take forward the message of unity, then Sanatan dharma will be strengthened and, if Sanatan dharma is strong, then our country will be strong," Adityanath said.

"Dividing the society for one's political interest, or in the name of caste, region, or language is nothing less than treason. If you try to come to power by dividing society, and promote 'parivarvaad', the country will not forgive you. We do not want to divide, we have to make India strong. India's strength is the strength of Sanatan Dharma, the strength of the country," he said.

Sanatan dharma is a Sanskrit term meaning "eternal religion", something that is ancient and never dies. The term has more recently been used by Hindu leaders, reformers and nationalists to refer to Hinduism as a unified world religion.

On being asked the meaning behind the slogan 'Batoge toh katoge', Adityanath said, "During the Haryana elections, I visited Mathura and had the opportunity to unveil the statue of Durga Das Rathore in Agra. In the medieval era, Durgadas Rathore was a very valiant general of the Jodhpur king Maharaja Jaswant Singh. Rathore protected the family of the king when he was martyred in Aurangzeb's deceitful attacks.

"When Prince Ajit Singh grew up, he made him the king of Jodhpur again. All those who associate with the story, and who belong to the 'Teli' caste wanted to install a statue in Agra, but some communities were opposing it. In the end, a compromise was reached, and the statue was installed, and it was there that I raised the slogan, 'Batoge toh katoge', while PM Modi also said, 'Ek rahoge toh safe rahoge'. This is the same message conveyed by the Maha Kumbh." Asked about his stated goal of making Uttar Pradesh a $1-trillion economy, Adityanath mentioned that the timeline has been set for 2029.

"In the last seven to eight years, we have succeeded in more than doubling our economy despite the Covid-19 pandemic for about three years. I believe that we will achieve the $1 trillion dream by 2029," he said.

Speaking on the ongoing Maha Kumbh, he said more than 10 crore devotees have visited the mela in the past 10 days. He added that economic activity from the Maha Kumbh is likely to account for 10 per cent of the state's GDP.

He added that economic activity from the Maha Kumbh is likely to account for 10 per cent of the state's GDP.

Speaking on the issue of education and the budgetary allocation to the education sector, he remarked, "If the Delhi's education minister visits Uttar Pradesh, he will learn something. The education budget here is as much as the entire budget of Delhi. I would say, just as I took a dip in the Triveni with my cabinet, they should take a dip in the Yamuna." Adityanath advocated for a "long-term vision" when asked about the 'revdi culture' - a term popularised by Modi - and how freebies can slow down a state's growth.

He also responded to the buzz around RSS head Mohan Bhagwat's recent remarks that there should not be a search for a temple under every mosque and conjecture that this was linked to the mandir-masjid row in Sambhal.

"This was not related to Sambhal. You must have noticed that afterwards, Organiser and Panchjanya also clearly stated that this is a journey from Somnath to Sambhal to find the truth. What Sarsanghchalak ji has said is a message for those people who are unnecessarily trying to raise every issue forcibly to gain cheap publicity. We have to look at those issues that are based on truth and can be taken forward through dialogue in a cordial environment." He termed the Maha Kumbh Mela an embodiment of Modi's vision.

"India's heritage should get its due respect. It is an example of how it is the responsibility of the government to respect the faith. The divine and grand Kumbh is a testament to this belief," said Adityanath.