The Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) might have grabbed 325 out of the 403 seats that were contested in Uttar Pradesh’s assembly earlier this month, but their decision to appoint the highly communal Yogi Adityanath as the state’s chief minister isn’t going down too well even with some of the party’s staunchest supporters.

Not only does the BJP MP have charges of rioting, attempt to murder, armed with deadly weapon, endangering life or personal safety of others, unlawful assembly, trespassing on burial places and criminal intimidation against him, the hardliner has also gone on record to make some shocking remarks over the years. Here are some gems. 

Marginsailising minorities

“There have been 450 riots cases in West UP in two-and-a-half years of Samajwadi Party rule because the population of a particular community is rising manifold. Why are there no riots in Eastern UP? You can easily understand. In places where there are 10-20% minority population, stray communal incidents take place. Where there are 20-35% of them, serious communal riots take place and where they are more than 35%, there is no place for non-Muslims.”

Praising Donald Trump

“Trump’s victory has given politics a new direction, a new flow.” He also waxed lyrical about the US President’s travel ban and proposed a similar step in India.

SRK is Hafiz Saeed

“Shah Rukh Khan should remember that if a huge mass in society would boycott his films, he will also have to wander on streets like a normal Muslim….I am saying these people are speaking in a terrorist language. I think there is no difference between the language of Shah Rukh Khan and Hafiz Saeed,”

Mother Teresa was also a farce

“Mother Teresa was part of the conspiracy to Christianise India. Hindus were converted in the name of doing service and then converted

Yoga or death

“Jinko Surya mein bhi saampradaayikta nazar ati hai, mai unse vinamrata se kahunga ki wo samundra mein jakar doob jayein,” he said. “Those who see communalism in doing Surya Namaskar, I appeal to them to go jump in the sea.”

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