Adityanath of Hindu Far Right and his Hindu Yuva Vahini in UP elections 2012

From: Indian Express

Yogi in full flow: ‘justice for anything that’s anti-Hindu’

D K Singh : Domariyaganj, Mon Feb 06 2012, 03:55 hrs

In a poll that has largely been without the communal rhetoric one saw in the 1990s, Domariyaganj seat is witnessing a concerted attempt at polarisation, one that could have a bearing on the region’s future politics.

A relatively little-known Hindutva outfit, Hindu Yuva Vahini, which was launched by Yogi Adityanath in 2002, which has been in the forefront of many agitations, and whose activists had even gone to Lumbini, Nepal, to stop Maoists from “taking over a Hindu rashtra”, has debuted in electoral politics from this constituency.

Its pradesh prabhari (state-in-charge) Raghvendra Pratap Singh is contesting on a BJP ticket from Domariyaganj and has been breathing fire on his two Muslim rivals — sitting BSP MLA Sayeeda Khatoon and Peace Party candidate Kamal Yusuf Malik. Adityanath has fielded also two HYV candidates as rebels — Rana Pratap against state BJP president Surya Pratap Sahi in Pathardeva, and Ram Lakshman in Bansgaon where the BJP has fielded Subhawati Paswan against Adityanath’s wishes.

“If you get a whiff of anti-Hindu activities, one goes to the administration once, twice, thrice, and then takes the law in one’s hands to hand out justice,” Adityanath, the Gorakhpur MP, said at a rally at Shahri Bujurg village on Saturday... “The Congress is reducing OBCs’ quota and giving it to Muslims and Christians... Is it a sin to be a Hindu?”

He said he had come to Domariyaganj seven years ago when a “Hindu girl” had been raped and killed and the administration was not taking action. He then organised a Hindu Sangam to force the administration to arrest the accused, he siad. In another village, he said, a mosque had been built adjacent to a temple “on temple land” and he got it demolished.

BJP candidate Singh said the Peace Party candidate tells voters in minority-dominated areas how he had got the boundary walls of madrasas built, and that the BSP candidate highlights among her achievements the building of boundary walls at a kabarstan.

“Durga Puja is not celebrated in Domariyaganj; electricity is not supplied during Dussehra. No nationalist could win from Domariyaganj because the ISI and Mujahideen are involved in allotting party tickets. If a Hindu, Yogiji’s sevak, wins, all anti-national activities in Domariyaganj will stop,” said Singh.

Since 2002, the Hindu Yuva Vahini has expanded its network through Gorakhpur, Kushinagar, Siddharth Nagar, and other districts of eastern UP. It has recently set up units in Meerut and Agra. In Paniyara in Maharajganj district, it launched agitations in 42 villages because “Hindu girls were not allowed to go to school and even pray in temples”, as an HYV activist told The Indian Express in Gorakhpur.

“Since we do not hold any membership drives, we do not keep count of our members. But whenever Maharajji (Adityanath) holds a Hindu Sangam, you see thousands, lakhs coming to participate,” he said.

Since 2007, the HYV has also been involved in social welfare schemes and Adityanath has been launching agitations on the issue of encephalitis.

Under the aegis of the Gorakhnath Temple, where one sees statues of Sant Ravidas, Manu (of Manu Smriti), Kabir, Vivekananda, Prithviraj Chauhan, Shivaji and many others in one hall besides those of Lord Shiva, Sita, and Parvati, head priest Adityanath presides over dozens of educational institutions. The principal of government-aided Sanskrit College, located near the temple that runs it, Ram Naresh Pandey, says at least 25 of his students are employed in the Army as “Dharma Guru (JCOs)”, while many others have become priests and teachers. There are about 1,000 students here, of whom 250-300 stay in a hostel where the temple gives them free food and accommodation.

Despite the expanding network and Adityanath’s influence, his candidate is finding the going tough in Muslim-dominated Domariyaganj. Brahmins, who constitute an estimated 15 per cent of the electorate, are upset that Jippy Tiwari, an influential Brahmin leader, was denied a ticket by the BJP to accommodate a Thakur candidate. “Because of Adityanath’s Thakurwadi policy, Brahmins can go anywhere in this election, either with the Peace Party or with the SP,” said Ramavadh Pathak of Gauripathak village.

Yogi Adityanath has held five public meetings in this constituency so far and is planning another this week.

“Jatiwaad loktantra mein paap hai,” he said at Shahri Bujurg, an obvious attempt at consolidation of the non-minority vote.