Hindutva is way of life; nothing wrong with India becoming 'Hindu Rashtra': Yogi Adityanath

Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has said that strengthening the law and order situation in the state and improving the quality of education here are among his top priorities.

The firebrand saint-politician made these remarks in his first televised interview to Doordarshan on Wednesday during which he spoke on a wide range of issues including ban on cow slaughter, anti-Romeo squads, crackdown against illegal slaughterhouses and India becoming a 'Hindu Rashtra'.

When asked if it was right for a saint like him to enter politics, the workaholic Chief Minister said, ''Politics is for 'yogis' and not for 'bhogis' (for those who sacrifice, not those who are greedy)''.

The outspoken BJP leader further said that there was nothing wrong with being a 'Yogi'. He even hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a 'Yogi'. 

He stated that even after three years in office, the PM's popularity is intact. PM Modi enjoys the same trust which he had three years before. 

Yogi Adityanath added that PM Modi was a ‘sanyasi’, and that his sacrifices for the nation was  unprecedented.

Giving a tough message to his critics, the Chief Minister said that he was not bothered by what people said and that his work would speak for him. 

He assured that he had asked anti-Romeo squads not to harass couples, and reiterated that the UP government would work for all without discrimination.

When asked about whether India was becoming a 'Hindu Rashtra', he said he did not care what people said. 

However, he added that there was nothing wrong with India becoming a 'Hindu Rashtra', and that the Supreme Court had too said that 'Hindutva was a way of life.'

Yogi also stressed on ensuring delivery of government schemes to the poorest of the poor. 

He said that if any starvation death is reported from any district, its district magistrate will be held accountable and if someone dies because of lack of medication or health facilities, onus will lie on the chief medical officer.