Chitchat Make Hindu Great Again Neh is a Minister Now, I must coconut oil my blond hair ASAP!

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http://www.todayonline.com/chinaindia/india/firebrand-hindu-cleric-new-uttar-pradesh-minister


Firebrand Hindu cleric is new Uttar Pradesh minister
Firebrand Hindu cleric is new Uttar Pradesh minister
India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Yogi Adityanath (centre) is presented with flowers after he was elected Uttar Pradesh chief minister during the party lawmakers’ meeting on Saturday. Photo: Reuters

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Published: 4:00 AM, March 20, 2017

NEW DELHI — India’s governing party over the weekend appointed a firebrand Hindu cleric to lead the country’s most populous state, a turning point for a government that has, until now, steered clear of openly embracing far-right Hindu causes.

The choice of Mr Yogi Adityanath — who has been repeatedly accused of stirring anti-Muslim sentiments — to lead Uttar Pradesh, came as a shock to many political observers, who have become accustomed to the carefully moderated public positions of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in line with his projected image as a pro-development leader and global statesman.

Mr Adityanath has openly called for India to be enshrined as a “Hindu rashtra”, or Hindu nation, and supports the rebuilding of a temple to the Hindu god Ram, also known as Rama, on the site of a razed 16th-century mosque, a project that was halted after it incited bloody religious riots in the 1990s.

With the appointment, Mr Modi “is unveiling a vision of benign majoritarianism”, said Mr Shekhar Gupta, a longtime editor and political talk show host. “That means it’s a Hindu country, that’s the fact, and we’ll be nice to you if you behave yourself.”

For Mr Modi, the appointment represents a “final rejection of Nehruvian socialism, which almost gave the minorities a slightly exalted status”, said Mr Gupta, referring to Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s first prime minister and independence leader.

Mr Adityanath, who is often seen wearing the saffron robes of a Hindu priest, called his victory a step forwards for Hindus.

“Today proudly and openly I can say in India that I am a HINDU,” he wrote on Twitter. “Thank you @narendramodi ji for making this happen.”

India is 80 per cent Hindu, 14 per cent Muslim and 2.3 per cent Christian, according to the 2011 census.

Mr Adityanath’s appointment comes on the heels of Mr Modi’s greatest political victory since 2014. A week ago, his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won a landslide victory in Uttar Pradesh, which has a population of more than 200 million and was seen as a gauge of Mr Modi’s chances of winning a second five-year term in 2019.

The selection of a hardline Hindu chief minister suggests that the party credits right-wing activists for swinging the vote, said Mr Milan Vaishnav, a senior fellow in the South Asia programme at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

“The only conclusion one can draw is that he feels the base is mobilised and that they helped deliver this, and that there would be pushback if they did not get something in return,” said Mr Vaishnav.

He added that he was “baffled” by the choice, which shifts attention away from the pro-growth, development agenda that has been at the centre of Mr Modi’s political movement.

“I think it’s a regressive choice, and a lost opportunity for the prime minister,” he said. “This is a huge mandate, a huge victory. But there is going to be a backlash if he doesn’t figure out the jobs question. That’s issue No 1.”

Party loyalists praised the decision. Some members made the case that Mr Adityanath’s selection did not represent a departure from Mr Modi’s 2014 pledge to focus on the economy and create jobs.

Others openly celebrated the advent of a more muscular Hindu agenda. “Justice to all, appeasement to none,” Mr Sudhanshu Mittal, a BJP leader, told NDTV, a cable news station. “Appeasement”, in this context, is typically understood to mean policies favouring the rights of Indian Muslims.

“As a devout Hindu sannyasi (someone who has renounced worldly things) he will guarantee that the state doesn’t discriminate, and justice for all,” said Mr Tarun Vijay, a former BJP member of parliament. He added that, as chief minister, Mr Adityanath “may make jihadi, intolerant Muslims learn an alphabet of humanity and accept differences as an Indian”.

Mr Adityanath, 44, was born Ajay Mohan Bisht, and studied mathematics before joining the priesthood. He rose to prominence as part of the campaign to rebuild the Ram temple, and has repeatedly been charged with fanning religious tensions.

In 2007, he spent 15 days in jail on charges of inciting riots, reported The Hindustan Times. He was booked again later in the year, when riots broke out after he made a speech. He is still facing trial in the two cases, reported the newspaper.

Mr Adityanath was a forceful defender of the Hindu mob who lynched Muhammad Ikhlaq, a Muslim man suspected of slaughtering a cow. He argued that Ikhlaq’s family should be prosecuted for possessing the meat.

When some Indians complained that they should not be required to perform a “sun salutation” as part of International Yoga Day celebrations, saying it was a religious act, he recommended that those who were offended should “drown themselves in the sea”.

He won his parliamentary seat in 1998, and was re-elected four times.

He has particularly strong support among Hindu priests and seers, who urged the BJP to name him chief minister, saying it would clear the way for the construction of the Ram temple.

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Re: Make Hindu Great Again Neh is a Minister Now, I must coconut oil my blond hair AS

Now, we have " MAKE HINDU GREAT AGAIN"...

 

[SARS_orchard]

Re: Make Hindu Great Again Neh is a Minister Now, I must coconut oil my blond hair AS

http://www.thehindu.com/news/nation...ficials-to-declare-assets/article17543883.ece



After order to Ministers, Yogi asks officials to declare assets
AVDYOGI
PTI
LUCKNOW MARCH 20, 2017 20:35 IST
UPDATED: MARCH 20, 2017 20:38 IST
The new UP CM asks them to ensure implementation of BJP’s ‘Sankalp Patra’ (manifesto).

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday directed officials to declare their assets within 15 days, following up on a similar order to Ministers after assuming office on Sunday, a move aimed at uprooting corruption.

Separately, Mr. Adityanath directed the state DGP Javeed Ahmed to ensure that there was no laxity in improving law and order situation, hours after a BSP leader was shot dead in Allahabad.

At his first interaction with senior officials in Lok Bhawan, the Chief Minister also instructed them to ensure implementation of BJP’s ‘Sankalp Patra’ (manifesto).

ALSO READ

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“It was an introductory meeting with UP government officials. The officials were told that the Sankalp Patra has to be implemented,” Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya, who was also present, told reporters.

The Chief Minister also asked officials to declare their assets — immovable and movable — within 15 days, Maurya said.

The meeting was attended by around 65 senior officials.

The officials were given a copy of BJP’s ‘Sankalp Patra’ and instructions have been issued to them to prepare a roadmap for their respective departments, a senior BJP leader said.

“As uprooting corruption is the main agenda of our party, the CM in his first introductory meeting with his new ministers directed them to give details of their income, movable and immovable properties with 15 days,” Cabinet Minister Srikant Sharma had said on Sunday.

Official sources said Mr. Adityanath expressed concern over the attack on the BSP leader and stressed that restoring law and order was the top priority of his government.

ALSO READ

The Yogi and the magic of numbers

60-year-old BSP leader Mohd Shami was last night gunned down by assailants close to his residence in Mauaima police station area, 40 km from Allahabad.

The UP DGP has been asked to hold video conference with the district magistrates and the superintendents of police of all the 75 districts of the state to take stock of law and order situation and other administrative issues, they said.

Deputy chief ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Dinesh Sharma also met Mr. Adityanath.

Mr. Maurya told reporters that the first meeting of the state Cabinet would discuss all key issues mentioned in BJP’s ’sankalp patra’, which include loan waiver to farmers and ban on mechanised slaughter houses.

Mr. Sharma told mediapersons that his meeting was just a courtesy call. “We will work for the welfare of the people with full vigour and ensure that the work is visible on the ground,” he said.

Earlier in the day, Chief Secretary Rahul Bhatnagar, the DGP and Principal Secretary Home Debashish Panda met the chief minister at the VVIP Guest House here ahead of his meeting with the senior officials of the state.

The portfolios to the new ministers are likely to be announced soon. A 47-member Council of Ministers, including two deputy CMs, was administered the oath of office and secrecy by Governor Ram Naik on Sunday.

Mr. Adityanath, who was sworn-in as the 21st Chief Minister of UP, has promised to work for all sections of the society without any discrimination, pursuing the agenda of ‘sabka sath, sabka vikas’.

 

[ejected.president]

Re: Make Hindu Great Again Neh is a Minister Now, I must coconut oil my blond hair AS

Making India Great Again!


http://economictimes.indiatimes.com...masterstroke-by-modi/articleshow/57747099.cms


Advani, Modi and…Yogi? Why Adityanath's appointment is a political masterstroke by Modi
By Sriram Ramakrishnan, ET Bureau | Updated: Mar 21, 2017, 01.05 PM IST
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READ MORE ON » Yogi Adityanath | up elections results | UP elections | UP chief minister | Narenddra Modi
Critics have slammed Modi’s move claiming that Adityanath lacks administrative experience and is too polarising a figure.
Critics have slammed Modi’s move claiming that Adityanath lacks administrative experience and is too polarising a figure.
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It was one of those brain storming sessions of the Gujarat government soon after Narendra Modi had taken charge of the state administration after his thumping victory in the 2002 assembly polls. Times were tough and the power situation in the state were grim. The officials had gathered to discuss the problem and how to best to solve it. Chief minister Modi was present and so were some his cabinet members. For some time, the discussion meandered on. Loud debates and disagreements meant that many proposals did not find favour. Then, one engineer sitting in the back of the room spoke up. Why not create a separate feeder line especially for farmers which will help them draw as much power,” he asked. The proposal was greeted with general laughter and derision. Most people in the room said this can never be done. Two people who remained silent during the discussion, Modi and the Gujarat power minister, later spoke up and wanted to know more. The engineer explained why he thought this idea will work. Modi listened and liked the idea. Despite the objection of the bureaucracy, the Gujarat government went ahead and decided to construct a separate feeder line to give farmers uninterrupted power.

Flash forward to 2014. Its October and the BJP has just won the Maharashtra assembly elections. The BJP always fought the elections together with the Shiv Sena but this was first the time that they had fought alone. The party managed to emerge the single largest in the 288 member assembly besting the Sena and the Congress twins. In Mumbai, various caste factions had begun their hectic lobbying for the chief ministership post. Traditionally, the Marathas had enjoyed an upper hand when it came to the top position in the state and BJP Maratha leaders were perhaps confident that one of their own would be appointed CM. Imagine their shock when Modi picked Devendra Fadnavis, a Brahmin, as the candidate. The state has not seen a Brahmin chief minister since Manohar Joshi of the Shiv Sena in 1995, a reflection of the massive upsurge in Maratha and backward caste dominance in the state politics. But Mr Modi, now prime minister and BJP chief Amit Shah were clear it was Fadnavis they wanted. The decision was final.

Screaming headlines in newspapers and breathless talking heads on TV since last Saturday will try and convince you that Yogi Adityanath, the newly elected chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, is some kind of a scary figure who should never come near any position of power or authority. He has been referred to as `Hindutva mascot’, `Hindutva warrior’ in newspaper headlines and copies and there are various references to incendiary speeches during his career as a five-term MP from Gorakhpur in eastern Uttar Pradesh. Well-known political and socio-economic commentator Pratap Bhanu Mehta called the appointment of Yogi Adityanath “an odious and ominous development”. He added that Adityanath is a mascot of militant Hindu sectarianism, reactionary ideas and thuggery in political discourse.”

Mehta’s hyperbole is typical of the left-liberal establishment to Adityanath and social media on Saturday buzzed with indignant journalists and political pundits expressing anguish over the move. Has the BJP mistaken a majority verdict for a majoritarian verdict, some asked.

Actually, the decision should not have been surprising if political pundits had been following prime minister Narendra Modi’s decisions closely since he took over in 2014. Modi has rigorously followed his instincts and his own ideas for reshaping the party based on a unique assessment of the political landscape, current and future. The above mentioned examples show Modi’s penchant for out-of-the-box thinking and he has followed up his bold Maharashtra experiment with similar `shock’ moves in other states.

For instance: Vijay Rupani, chief minister of Gujarat is a Jain baniya and belongs to the minority community, Raghubar Das, the chief minister of Jharkhand, is an OBC (other backward caste) from the Teli community in a predominantly tribal state, while ML Khattar, the chief minister of Haryana is Punjabi in a state where the Jats rule the roost.

Some say that this is Modi’s way of empowering minority castes and communities. Some others believe that this is a good way of keeping chief ministers in check as they would become wholly dependant on Modi without a power base of their own within the state.

The Yogi’s appointment however doesn’t fit both categories. He has a strong base of his own in UP not to mention a loyal and energetic band of followers. And he is certainly not from any of the lower, deprived castes that need to be empowered.

The logic therefore of appointing Yogi is different and is closely tied to BJP’s ascendancy and its ability to stay in a dominant position for a long time to come. Think about it this way. Modi knows more than anyone else that the BJP’s rise in the past few years to pre-eminent national status is due to strong state-level leadership and the work done by the chief ministers. He himself has been a big beneficiary of this model. Modi 2014 would never have happened without the Gujarat success.

Modi also knows that more high quality state-level leaders, that is leaders who combine charisma, mass appeal with administrative acumen, are needed if the BJP has to have any chance of progressing beyond 2019 as the nation’s dominant party. The Modi appeal may be shining bright as of now in the aftermath of tremendous success in UP but it could quickly get clouded by missteps and underperformance in key states. Key lieutenants who will helm top-level positions and deliver performance that can win elections are important.

Secondly, strong state-level leaders will also ensure that the party does not fall into the same trap that crippled the Congress party and reduced it to an also-ran status. The dependence on one family, the complete, near-total absence of quality regional leaders who can take the battle to the opposite camp, lack of direction and absence of message means that the Congress is at the edge of precipice. Any more state election losses (and there could be some in 2017 and 18), the party could start losing key people and be a shell of its former self.

So, where does the Yogi Adityanath move fit in amidst all this. Firstly, he is extremely popular in UP, especially among the youth. He is incorruptible and his sanyasi status with no family ties sharply reduces the chances of family-led corruption that has brought many politicians to ruin. He is a Hindutva warrior, the head priest of the centuries-old Gorakhpur Shaivite sect. Unlike some other BJP leaders, he doesn't have to prove his Hindutva credentials to anyone. Add to all this, he is a five-term Gorakhpur MP who was winning elections when there was no Modi and the BJP’s popularity was at its nadir. The choice, on paper and the on the ground, was clear.

Critics have slammed Modi’s move claiming that Adityanath lacks administrative experience and is too polarising a figure. PB Mehta’s anguish stems largely from the fact that Modi, having won UP, has failed to appoint a consensus-driven, moderate to the top post and instead appointed an aggressive, in-your-face, Hindutva warrior.

This is just drivel and somebody of Mehta’s stature and intellect should know better. All politicians in India are polarising figures, whether it is Bal Thackeray, MK Karunanidhi, Kanshi Ram, Mulayam Singh Yadav, Lalu Prasad Yadav. Even Mamata Banerjee, whom many people believe will be Modi’s opponent in 2019, is an intensely polarising figure.

Political movements and parties that last cannot be built on consensus and me-too policies to the sound of gentle media applause and choir singing. The leader of a successful political movement must have the courage and conviction to articulate bold, controversial policies and go out and achieve success by persuading others of the justness of his cause. Great political movements and parties are built this way.

Former RSS leader Balasaheb Deoras recognised how this worked and set out to build the RSS ecosystem and spread the message of Hindutva in the 1970s and 1980s. LK Advani, as the leader of the rejuvenated BJP, built on it with the Ram Janmabhoomi movement in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Narendra Modi took Advani and Atal Behari Vajpayee’s work many levels higher with his theme of development and progress. All these people polarised public opinion but they are all accepted by the media and public at large. Why should Yogi Adityanath be any different?

In fact, after the collapse in UP, one would have thought that the intelligentsia and the public would avoid the topic of polarisation. If there is anything that this election proved, it showed how unpopular people were with the Akhilesh Yadav government. The SP govt had polarised public opinion to such an extent with its pro-Yadav, pro-Muslim policies, that the entire state took to the voting machines to throw them out with vengeance. If you want to talk about polarisation, talk about Akhilesh Yadav and his SP coterie.

The second major criticism against Adityanath that he lacks administrative skills is also a weak attack. Modi had little experience when he set out to be Gujarat chief minister in 2001 but he prospered and thrived. What is surprising is that the same people who are now crying hoarse about Adityanath skill sets were looking the other way when the younger Yadav was promoted to the CM post ahead of the 2012 elections. What experience did he have? What skill sets did he bring with him?

The correct way to examine Yogi Adityanath is whether he will follow in the footsteps of Advani and Modi by acquiring administrative skills and demonstrating a commitment to economic progress and prosperity. Whether he will make the transition from a consummate, political warrior with street-smart skills to one who can unite a state and help it out of the economic gloom and morass that it has been pushed into due to years of misgovernance and neglect. The answer to this question will shape BJP’s future and India’s economic growth prospects.
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