Hope Adityanath adjusts his public rhetoric to befit his new office: Expert -Governance Now

Hope Adityanath adjusts his public rhetoric to befit his new office: Expert

“All citizens of UP, no matter their religion, deserve a chief minister who will seek development for all, regardless of their background.”

GN Bureau | March 30, 2017

#Yogi Adityanath #UP #poll 2017 #Uttar Pradesh chief minister #elections #BJP #Bharatiya Janata Party #HIndutva

Yogi Adityanath

Indian parties do not choose their politicians with a view to what the world might conclude, but there is no denying the signal Yogi Adityanath’s pick sends: with a huge mandate, the BJP has decided to lead with the face of religious nationalism—not the forward-looking, twenty-first century face of the New India—in their most important state, said a leading international expert.

“Some Indian commentators have used the phrase “the mask has come off” or “bait and switch” to describe this abrupt shift from a development-focused platform. I hope this does not signal that UP will become enmeshed in religious conflict, unable to advance its development agenda,” wrote Alyssa Ayres, Council on Foreign Relations senior fellow for India, Pakistan, and South Asia.

Read: Yogi Adityanath is the right choice. Here’s why

In a blog “BJP Puts Religion in the Front Seat in India’s Largest State”, Ayres wrote that Adityanath supporters will say he deserves a chance to prove himself. “He does, but his past inflammatory remarks—the reason for his national notoriety—are surely cause for concern.”

She said that prime minister Narendra Modi has expended enormous political capital in domestic and foreign policy highlighting the urgency of India’s development, and during his nearly three years in government has initiated countless initiatives geared toward providing better sanitation and infrastructure for the whole country, encouraging more foreign direct investment, enticing manufacturers to set up in India, calling for “women-led development,” plumping for greater innovation, and positioning India as a new “leading power” on the world stage. These emphases can be summed up in his party’s national campaign slogan, sab ka saath, sab ka vikaas—everyone together, development for all.

The BJP conducted their campaign in UP without naming a chief minister candidate for the state.

Adityanath has attained fame in India due to his oratory, nearly always described as “fiery,” with him frequently described as a “firebrand” leader of Hindutva, or Hindu nationalism. “I will refrain from enumerating some of the many speeches he has given over the years that illustrate his antipathy for Muslims. The point is that he will now be responsible for overseeing the development of this critically important state, one with enormous problems and enormous needs, and one in which Hindu-Muslim tensions continue to be a concern,” the blog said.

She went on to say that the Modi government has two years left in office, and despite having initiated many development programs, has a long way to go to see them fulfilled. “Let’s hope the new leader of India’s largest state adjusts his perspective and his public rhetoric to befit the new office he holds, one charged with the welfare of more than 200 million people, of which some nineteen percent are Muslim. All citizens of UP, no matter their religion, deserve a chief minister who will seek development for all, regardless of their background.”

Read: Council on Foreign Relations blog - BJP Puts Religion in the Front Seat in India’s Largest State

Comments

Other News

‘World’s biggest festival of democracy’ begins

The much-awaited General Elections of 2024, billed as the world’s biggest festival of democracy, began on Friday with Phase 1 of polling in 102 Parliamentary Constituencies (the highest among all seven phases) in 21 States/ UTs and 92 Assembly Constituencies in the State Assembly Elections in Arunach

A sustainability warrior’s heartfelt stories of life’s fleeting moments

Fit In, Stand Out, Walk: Stories from a Pushed Away Hill By Shailini Sheth Amin Notion Press, Rs 399

What EU’s AI Act means for the world

The recent European Union (EU) policy on artificial intelligence (AI) will be a game-changer and likely to become the de-facto standard not only for the conduct of businesses but also for the way consumers think about AI tools. Governments across the globe have been grappling with the rapid rise of AI tool

Indian Railways celebrates 171 years of its pioneering journey

The Indian Railways is celebrating 171 glorious years of its existence. Going back in time, the first train in India (and Asia) ran between Mumbai and Thane on April 16, 1853. It was flagged off from Boribunder (where CSMT stands today). As the years passed, the Great Indian Peninsula Railway which ran the

Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam: How to connect businesses with people

7 Chakras of Management: Wisdom from Indic Scriptures By Ashutosh Garg Rupa Publications, 282 pages, Rs 595

ECI walks extra mile to reach out to elderly, PwD voters

In a path-breaking initiative, the Election Commission of India (ECI), for the first time in a Lok Sabha Election, has provided the facility of home voting for the elderly and Persons with Disabilities in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Voters above 85 years of age and Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) with 4