Opinion column on Personality : Yogi Adityanath: How Gorakhnath temple’s mahant graduate d as the mascot of Hindutva ( By Subhash Mishra | TNN | Updated: Mar 19, 2021, 12:10 IST)

• CITY

Yogi Adityanath: How Gorakhnath temple’s mahant graduated as the mascot of Hindutva

Subhash Mishra | TNN | Updated: Mar 19, 2021, 12:10 IST

When chief minister

Yogi Adityanath

makes statements like ‘I am a Hindu, I don’t celebrate Eid’, and “secularism is the biggest threat to the nation”, they are not off-the-cuff remarks made in the heat of the moment, but a well-calculated move to chisel his image as the poster boy of

Hindutva

.

Those who don’t have an insight into Hindutva politics may perceive Yogi’s statements as an assault on the secular fabric of the country, but he remains unapologetic and has firm resolve to put forth his firebrand image not only in the state but also across the country.

For the BJP, the RSS brigade and the public, Yogi’s appeal has propelled him as “Hindu Hridaya Samrat” across the country.

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Yogi drew sharp reaction not only in the country but also abroad when he brought in a legislation to check forcible religious conversions in the name of marriage. He, however, remained firm on his decision to further consolidate his socio-political constituency.

Now, taking a cue from Yogi’s ‘Hindutva laboratory’, other BJP-ruled states like MP and Uttarakhand have also started following in his footsteps.

To consolidate his Hindutva image, Yogi did not rely on symbolism only. He paid obeisance to Ram Lalla in Ayodhya on nearly two dozen occasions in the last four years. He has been performing his duties as the chief priest of Gorakhnath Peeth and celebrating Hindu festivals with traditional spirit. The constitutional post of the Chief Minister did not stop him putting forth his religious beliefs.

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Talking to TOI, a cabinet minister said, “Yogi’s aura in saffron robes, his aggressive pursuance of the ideology of Hindutva in letter and spirit has made him the darling of his followers across the country. Any attempt or conspiracy to disturb his position can sink the Hindutva project.”

He also rubbished speculations of major changes in the Yogi government in the days to come to accommodate bureaucrat-turned-politician Arvind Sharma in the cabinet.

Yogi is aware about his popularity as Hindutva poster boy, and therefore, he overlooks the palpable resentment among a section of ministers, MLAs and the party cadre over his way of functioning as the CM. He also keeps a check on the wayward MLAs and the rank and file of the party.

After March 19, when Yogi completes four years in office, which no other BJP CM could do in Uttar Pradesh, he will face the real test when he leads his party to 2022 assembly elections.