Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath stirred controversy with his Islamophobic stance on the safety of Hindus amongst a group of Muslim families. His comments have reignited controversy, particularly due to his insinuation that Hindus may not be safe in Muslim-majority areas.
“A Muslim family is the safest among a hundred Hindu families, but can 50 Hindus be safe among a hundred Muslim families? No,” he stated, referencing historical instances of persecution in countries like Bangladesh and Pakistan.
He made these controversial remarks in an interview with Smita Prakash for Asian News International (ANI).
Yogi Adityanath’s remarks come against a backdrop of his long history of inflammatory statements targeting the Muslim community. Known for his divisive rhetoric, he has previously claimed that Muslims who remained in India post-partition did the country “no favours” and made controversial assertions about demographic changes that paint Muslims in a negative light.
Yogi Adityanath’s governance has been marked by accusations of fostering an environment hostile to Muslims, including his notorious statement that if one Hindu girl is taken by Muslims, then 100 Muslim girls should be taken in return.
Since assuming office in 2017, Adityanath has emphasized that communal riots have ceased under his leadership, attributing this to the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) governance.
He has also positioned Sanatan Dharma as the “most ancient religion,” arguing that Hindu rulers have historically not imposed their faith on others. His recent defense of covering a mosque during Holi celebrations further illustrates his controversial stance on communal sensitivities, as he equated it with practices observed during Muharram processions.
These comments are part of a larger trend of Yogi Adityanath’s political approach, where he tends to invoke Hindu nationalism and exclude minority groups, most notably Muslims. Critics say this kind of rhetoric heightens communal tensions and undermines social cohesion in one of India’s most densely populated states.
Incidences of hate crimes in Uttar Pradesh have been a cause of concern in the last few years. The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) 2022 report shows that Uttar Pradesh accounted for the most hate speech cases in India, with 217 cases reported, a 45 percent growth compared to the previous year.
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