‘Son of soil’ Yogi: Few criminals that crawl away from UP will take shelter in non-BJP hill state

PM Modi addressed a public meeting in Rudrapur. (Photo: Twitter/@BJP4UK)

Campaigning in Tehri and Kotdwar, Adityanth reminded people that he was born in the hill-state and said they need to re-elect a BJP government so that criminals he is “chasing away from Uttar Pradesh do not take shelter in Uttarakhand”.

Adityanath said: “I have come here to make an appeal, because, first, Uttarakhand is my birthplace and, second, it is a border state and is important for national security. Being a neighbouring state to UP, it is also a matter of concern to us — because when we take action against the mafia and criminals in UP, all of them will run away and take shelter in Uttarakhand if it does not have a BJP government.”

“Even though I do not leave them (criminals) with the strength to run away, sometimes one or two can crawl away…” he added.

Calling the Congress “laawaris (orphan)” and leaderless, Adityanath accused the party of being in a purported race to disrespect Hindus. “Those who themselves do not know whether they are Hindus are now defining Hindus… Ancestors of Rahul (Gandhi)-ji used to say that they are ‘accidental Hindus’. When they do not feel pride in being a Hindu, how can they define Hindus? If in Devbhoomi (as Uttarakhand is called) someone does not know the definition of Hindu, that party should not have the right to be in power,” Adityanath said.

Apparently referring to Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, the UP CM said in Kotdwar, “Every year the Congress is losing one state (where it is in power). Whatever is remaining will also drown due to the mutual tussle between the brother and the sister.”

At Rudrapur, Prime Minister Modi said people did not gather only to listen to him but to also invite him for the swearing-in ceremony of a BJP government in the state. Attacking the Congress, he said the party has had just one policy for decades: making tall promises, forming governments and then being involved in corruption and scams.

“These people (Congress) ruled here (in Uttarakhand) for such a long time. Many Bengali families live here. People of India will be shocked to know that Bengalis living here since independence used to mention ‘East Pakistan’ in their identity-cards,” Modi said. “They had to fight for their rights. I want to congratulate the Dhami government, which accepted their right and removed the mention of ‘East Pakistan’ in their identity cards.”

Union Home Minister Amit Shah waves at the people, during a public meeting in support of BJP candidate Umesh Sharma, ahead of upcoming Uttarakhand assembly polls, in Dehradun. (PTI)

Hitting out at the Congress, Shah accused the opposition of appeasement politics by helping Rohingya Muslims settle on the mountains of Uttarakhand. He said while the PM works on developing Char Dham in the state, Congress workers go to collectors and give the Rohingya people ration cards and ID cards.

Shah also alleged that national security was neglected under the Congress but under the leadership of Modi, “no one has the courage to threaten our borders or our soldiers”.