Yogi Adityanath and his changing political lexicon: Is the UP CM looking for an image makeover?

From asking people to chant ‘Ram Janmbhoomi ki jai' to saying 'sabka saath sabka vikaas' after taking over as Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, Yogi Adityanath has come a long way.

Priest-turned politician and controversial mascot of hardline Hindutva, Adityanath has made news several times in the past, for his communally-tinged remarks and it is well known that he has several cases registered against him. The long list includes murder, promoting enmity between groups, criminal intimidation, rioting, defiling a place of worship and destroying a landmark by fire or explosives.

However, in his first public speech at Gorakhpur after being sworn in as CM, Yogi Adityanath struck a more mellow tone than usual. Yahan par kisi ke saath na jaati ke naam par, na mat ke naam par, na mazhab ke naam par, na ling ke naam par kisi prakar ka koi bhed bhaav nahi hoga. Vikas sabka hoga lekin tushtikaran kisi ka nahi hoga. (There will be no discrimination on grounds of caste, views, religion or gender. There will be development for all but appeasement of none," he said.

Similar to when PM Modi visited his constituency in 2016, Adityanath reiterated the BJP's poll slogan of 'development'. Not just him, but other BJP members have also been clamouring to defend his appointment and attesting to his changed approach. Yogi went on to warn his supporters in his speech, saying,"Josh mein aake hosh nahi khona chahiye" (Don't get carried away by the victory).

During his farewell speech in Lok Sabha after being appointed as the CM of UP, Yogi also emphasised that his main aim is ‘development and not caste’. But as a Member of Parliament, Yogi repeatedly expressed concerns over Hindu affairs and cow slaughter. In the 16th Lok Sabha, 18% of debates that Yogi participated in were focussed on Hindu issues.

Yogi also attempted to whitewash his past in the lower house of the Parliament, by claiming that there had been no riots in Gorakhpur in the last 15 years. But he seems to have forgotten why he had broken down in the Lok Sabha back in 2007. Explaining to Speaker Somnath Chatterjee that there was a “political conspiracy” to kill him, Yogi had cried bitterly in the House. What had actually happened was Yogi was arrested for disturbing peace when police were trying to bring the situation under control after an altercation involving a Hindu group during a Muharram procession the same year.

Although he refrained from personally leading mobs and participating in attacks on Muslims after his arrest that year, he continued making inflammatory and controversial speeches.

Ever since the late 90s, Yogi Adityanath has been a torch bearer of Hindu cause, trying to increase his base through his ‘Vrihad Hindu' card. But he was often seen as an extremist, even in the saffron party and someone who wouldn’t give in to BJP’s way of functioning. While speaking to Rajdeep Sardesai in 1999, Yogi had reportedly said that though BJP claims to have given up on the Ram Mandir agenda in favour of a common minimum programme, he hasn’t. “Dilli mein hua hoga, aap Gorakhpur mein hai,” was his firm answer.

Today, he has been fondly embraced in the BJP's fold, enjoying support from party chief Amit Shah as well as PM Modi. But while he may be toeing the BJP's development line for now, can we really expect a leopard to change his spots? 

On the first day that he assumed charge as CM, Yogi Adityanath issued orders to crackdown on illegal slaughterhouses that prompted meat sellers across Uttar Pradesh to go on an indefinite strike. He also ordered anti-romeo squads to check eve-teasers, although there were reports of innocent couples being harassed.   

On Wednesday, the UP CM tried to draw parallels between Surya Namaskar and Namaz, saying that the posture during both the exercises is the same. Similarly, in Gorakhpur on Sunday, he said that Tulsidas never considered Akbar to be a king, by which he clearly meant that a Muslim leader was not acceptable to Hindus.

Meanwhile, some Sangh leaders are already rejoicing, hoping that a Ram temple would be constructed soon at the disputed site.

So, while BJP tries hard to drape the Yogi with the cloak of 'development', it remains to be seen how far the new CM walks in his new robes.