Priyanka Chaturvedi hits out at Yogi over ‘land jihad’ remark

Shiv Sena-UBT leader Priyanka Chaturvedi slammed Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for his recent "land jihad" remark, questioning his decade-long governance and urging him to focus on development instead of divisive rhetoric.

Mumbai: Shiv Sena-UBT leader Priyanka Chaturvedi on Wednesday lashed out at Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath over his “land jihad” remark, saying “We have heard enough of this in 10 years of his rule, when is he going to fulfill the promises made to people?”

A political row erupted after CM Adityanath, while addressing ‘Shri Ram Katha Mahotsav’ on Tuesday, said: “… After all, what were Khar-Dushan doing, what were Maricha and Subahu doing, they too were involved in ‘land jihad’. Forcibly occupying. Forcibly spotting any empty land and pitching their own tent on it. All of this must stop.”

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The Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister also said: “The land of India cannot be a ‘dharmshala’ for those invaders who have no faith in India, who do not hold loyalty toward India, who cannot respect India’s traditions.”

Speaking to IANS, Priyanka Chaturvedi said: “This is the second term of Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath ji. It’s going to be 10 years of his regime and the third election is about to be held. If he continues to do the same, us vs them, Hindu vs Muslim, land jihad, love jihad, sky jihad, hell jihad, then when will he fulfill the promises which he has made to the people of Uttar Pradesh?”

“Only politics is not enough to bring food to people’s houses in the state; development and developmental policies are required for that,” she added.

Referring to CM Adityanath, the Shiv Sena-UBT leader said: “We have heard everything that you have said for the past ten years like ‘batenge to katenge’. Now people want to know what Uttar Pradesh has got in the past 10 years. Please give an account of that, only then people will be able to trust him (again).”

Chaturvedi also added: “I will reiterate that with all these remarks about ‘jihad’, he (Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath) thinks that the country is benefitting but actually the citizens have now become more aware.”

Earlier, Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav called Chief Minister Adityanath’s remarks inappropriate.

“He (Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath) does not seem to have any affection for love, but rather for land. If you check in Gorakhpur, you will find in whose names the maximum registrations have taken place. He should not be making such statements, especially in religious programmes,” Yadav had said.