NEW DELHI: Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday addressed speculation about his prime ministerial ambitions, emphasising his primary identity as a “Yogi” and his commitment to serving the people of Uttar Pradesh.
In an exclusive interview with PTI, when asked about people wanting to see him as prime minister, Yogi Adityanath said, “Look, I am the chief minister of the state, the party has put me here for the people of Uttar Pradesh and politics is not a full-time job for me.”
“At present, we are working here but in reality, I am a Yogi. As long as we are here, we are working… there will be a time limit to this too,” he added.
Dismissing rift rumours
The chief minister firmly rejected allegations of any discord between him and the BJP’s central leadership. “I am in this position because of the party. How can there be any differences?” he questioned, dismissing such claims as baseless speculation.
“Where does the question of differences come from? After all, I am sitting here because of the party. Can I continue sitting here if I have differences with the central leaders?” Adityanath told PTI.
Samajwadi Party (SP) chief and former UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav has repeatedly said that the BJP-led governments in Uttar Pradesh and at the Centre are not in agreement. He has compared the situation to a “double-engine government” where both engines are “colliding.”
On
Addressing the government’s controversial “bulldozer action,” the chief minister maintained that it was a necessary measure rather than an achievement.
“This is not an achievement, this was a need here (Uttar Pradesh) and whatever we felt was necessary regarding that need,” Yogi said.
“Even today, if there is any encroachment anywhere, then a bulldozer is used to clear it. So, the bulldozer can provide infrastructure as well as remove encroachment, and I think we have taught people to use it in a better way,” he added.
He also defended the ban on offering namaz on public roads, citing the disciplined conduct of devotees at the Prayagraj gathering as an example.
“Roads are meant for walking and those who are saying…. should learn discipline from Hindus. 66 crore people came to Prayagraj… there was no looting anywhere, no arson anywhere, no molestation anywhere, no vandalism anywhere, no kidnapping anywhere, this is discipline, this is religious discipline,” the UP CM said.
“They came with reverence, participated in the ‘Mahasnan’, and then moved towards their destination. Festivals and celebrations or any such events should not become a medium for insolence. If you want convenience, then learn to follow that discipline as well,” he added.
The chief minister asserted that while religious celebrations are important, they should not become a source of public inconvenience or disorder.
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