Unity essential to protecting Sanatan traditions: Adityanath

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday said unity was essential to protecting Sanatan traditions, noting that the country had suffered because people were divided and lacked unity.

Addressing a programme in Ayodhya to commemorate the life and contribution of late Mahant Paramhans Ramchandra Das Maharaj, Adityanath spoke at length about the Ram Janmabhoomi movement, the transformation of Ayodhya and historical conflicts over religious sites, particularly Sambhal.

He said the country had suffered because people were divided and lacked unity. Adityanath recalled questioning some clerics over the use of the word “animal” for the cow.

“Our Sanatan tradition and India’s heritage — why did you call the cow an animal? And if I used the same word for you, how would you feel?” he said, adding that the clerics replied, “Sir, it was a mistake.” Adityanath said he then asked whether it was a mistake or a deliberate act. “Will you teach us Hindus how to worship Gau Mata? None of our rituals is complete without Gau Mata,” he said. Adityanath also said cattle smuggling required police deployment that could otherwise be used elsewhere. “If the smugglers stop their activities, at least the police deployed there can be used somewhere else,” he said, accusing some people of creating confusion over the issue.

“If anything was lacking, it was unity. There was a lack of the ability to stand together, speak in one voice and move forward together,” Adityanath said.

He said history should serve as a source of inspiration and a lesson for society. He also referred to the Partition and said August 14 should be remembered as the day before Independence when the country was divided.

“Today is August 14. On August 14, 1947, one day before Independence, not only were Hindus and Sikhs divided, India itself was divided,” he said. Adityanath alleged that political parties and leaders, who frequently speak out on incidents within India, remain silent when Hindus are killed in Pakistan and Bangladesh.

He also recalled the violence in Sambhal and said that after the 2024 clashes, the State Government had taken steps to restore peace and remove alleged encroachments. The CM said the Government subsequently investigated the history of Sambhal and identified alleged encroachments on land associated with religious sites.

“We got all the encroachments removed. From around 1,000 acres of land where there were encroachments, we have taken it back and are allotting it to the poor, Dalits and weaker sections,” the CM said.

Adityanath claimed that Sambhal, once associated with communal violence, had now changed.

“Today, Sambhal has changed again. There are no riots there now. There is peace,” he said.

Drawing a comparison with Ayodhya, Adityanath said the city had undergone a transformation in recent years. He recalled the period when Ayodhya, according to him, was marked by poor infrastructure, narrow lanes and inadequate sanitation.

He said Ayodhya, regarded as one of the seven sacred cities in Hindu tradition, should receive corresponding spiritual, cultural and physical development.

The chief minister credited saints who participated in the Ram Janmabhoomi movement with having contributed to the transformation.

He alleged that attempts were still being made to target Ayodhya and the broader Sanatan tradition.

“Sanatan Dharma is the target, Ayodhya Dham is the target and Shri Ram Janmabhoomi is the target,” he said.

Without naming political opponents, the chief minister accused them of opposing the Ram Janmabhoomi movement in the past and of now attempting to project themselves as supporters of Lord Ram.

“Those who opposed the Ram Janmabhoomi movement, those who opposed the Ram Lalla consecration ceremony in Ayodhya, those who stood against Ram devotees and those who fought the legal battle against the Ram Janmabhoomi cause are today trying to declare themselves Ram devotees,” he said.

He urged people to remain alert to such people. “We have to identify these ‘Kaalnemis’,” Adityanath said, invoking the character from the Ramayana who, according to tradition, tried to obstruct Lord Hanuman.

This was Chief Minister Adityanath’s third visit to Ayodhya since the temple donation theft case came to light in June this year.

He also referred to the recent controversy surrounding irregularities and theft involving donations at Ayodhya’s Ram temple and said action would be taken against anyone found guilty.

“In the case of the alleged wrongdoing, action has been taken against the person who was found responsible. I have said from the first day that the guilty must face action. There should be no doubt about the government’s and the temple trust’s resolve on this,” he said.

Adityanath said the completion of the temple had fulfilled the central objective of the movement but cautioned that the struggle over the protection of religious and cultural traditions would continue.

He asserted that the government would firmly respond to attempts to insult Ayodhya, religious pilgrimage sites or Sanatan traditions.

“Those who oppose Ram, we will confront them till the end and fight them with full strength,” he said.

“This is a long battle. They are not going to stop, and we are not going to stop either,” Adityanath said.