UTTAR Pradesh chief minister Yogi
Adityanath has batted for the nationwide adoption of Hindi as ‘Rajbhasha’ in an
exclusive interview with News18 Network – his first comprehensive interaction
with media since he assumed power – where he discussed topics ranging from cow
protection to population growth to the Unnao rape case.
“Hindi is our rajbhasha (official
language) and like every important symbol that should be respected in a
country, it is our responsibility to respect our Rajbhasha,” he told Rahul
Joshi, MD &Group Editor-in-Chief, News18 Network, in a wide-ranging
conversation held at the GorakhnathmathMandir in Gorakhpur to mark the first
half of the BJP Government in Lucknow.
The Hindi ball was set in motion
a few days ago by Union Home Minister Amit Shah on his Hindi Diwas speech. His
exhortation for nationwide adoption of Hindi was met with heavy resistance from
prominent personalities from south Indian states. Adityanath, however, felt
that nationwide adoption of Hindi would only “enhance the beauty of the
country”.
“In the southern states, I think
it will be a good move if we have the local language and Hindi in addition to
English,” he said, paraphrasing Mahatma Gandhi’s statement that Hindi was the
‘Bindi’ of the nation.
The UP CM defended his law and
order track record saying no riot or lynching took place during the
two-and-a-half years of his government because “we ended illegal cow slaughter.”
He also said that the Unnao incident where the girl who accused a BJP MLA of
rape was hurt seriously in a road accident had nothing to do with the law and
order situation in the state.
“The Unnao case has no connection
with the state of law and order in UP. These are issues associated with
mindsets, which has to be set right. UP’s law and order situation is the best
today. It is also important that when criminals fire at them our policemen are
not sitting idle, we reply in the same coin,” he said.
Adityanath, whose speeches had
come under scanner during the heated campaign for Lok Sabha polls early this
year, was unrepentant about his controversial comments. He said the
‘Ali-Bajrangbali’ comment was only a reaction to BSP chief Mayawati appealing
Muslims to vote for the SP-BSP combine that fought BJP in the state.
“Every action will have its
reaction. Everyone has their votebank. I didn’t take the name of any caste or
religion. Mayawati took to the stage and sought votes in the name of religion.
My statement was a natural reaction to that,” he told News18.
He emphasized his government
didn’t discriminate over caste or religion. “If we build 25 lakh houses for the
poor, all that doesn’t go only to Hindus. About 30-35% Muslims also get houses
from the scheme. And they are not getting the benefit because they are Muslims,
they are getting it because they are poor,” he said.
On the Ayodhya hearings happening
in Supreme Court, Adityanath said his government will accept the court’s
verdict but it would have been better if Muslims had resolved the centuries-old
issue through dialogue.
“It would have been good that
when the SC gave time for mediation if the Muslim community had taken the
initiative to end this. But it did not happen. It wouldn’t have happened as
people can only move towards a solution when they are thinking positively, but
when they are stubborn only the court can take a decision,” he said.
The full interview will be telecast at 8pm on September 19, 2019
on News18 Network
