Hardliner's Appointment Signals Government Moving Towards Hindu India
Prime Minister Narendra Modi sprang a surprise on Saturday by picking controversial MP Yogi Adityanath as Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) chief minister for Uttar Pradesh. Analysts observe that the move seals BJP's objective of marginalizing other religions in favor of Hinduism in India.
A member of the Nath Aghori lineage, Adityanath is a Hindu hardliner with a history of agitating minority Muslims. He accused them of waging a "love jihad (war)" by marrying Hindu women and converting them to Islam. He exhorted Hindus to convert 100 Muslims for every Hindu lost to Islam.
"Modi is saying India is a Hindu country and shall remain so," veteran journalist Shekhar Gupta told Reuters. "Hindus will rule, so you had better behave."
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Kashmir state Minister Omar Abdullah tweeted that Muslims in Uttar Pradesh "must be terrified of what the future has in store for them."
As the chief priest of Gorakhnath Peeth, which has long believed in militant involvement in politics to serve its religious and ideological ends, Adityanath's rise to power is the culmination of efforts to push the Hindutva agenda in Indian governance, the Indian Express explained.
BJP shares Gorakhnath Peeth's goal. The party's Palampur Resolution even committed to building a "magnificent Ram temple in Ayodhya." A long-time member of BJP, Adityanath warned the party against surrendering its pledge to build the temple and advocated for a more assertive Hindutva.
Adityanath influence over BJP is credited to his large following in Uttar Pradesh. With a population of 220 million, it is India's most populous state. If it were a separate country, it would be the world's fifth most populous. Adityanath mobilized the Hindu vote the previous week which enabled the party to win a landslide victory.
"Modi and the BJP had promised the poor of India good times to come," said Paranjoy Guha Thakurta, editor of the Economic & Political Weekly. "When they fail to create jobs, revive the economy or lift investment, they are going to fall back more on the majoritarian agenda."
