As Maharashtra elections come closer, Devendra Fadnavis support CM Yogi Adityanath’s slogan, ‘Batenge toh Katenge’

Mumbai: UP CM Yogi Adityanath’s slogan, “Batenge to Katenge,” which calls for Hindu unity, has been the subject of intense controversy as the Maharashtra election draws near. State Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said that he does not see anything wrong with the slogan, citing the fact that this has been our nation’s history, despite certain members of the BJP-led Mahayuti coalition voicing their objections.

Opposition politicians have also extensively denounced the phrase, citing communal implications. However, Fadnavis claims there is nothing wrong with it in an interview with the media.

“I don’t think Yogi ji’s mantras are incorrect. Check out this nation’s history. Bate hai tab gulam bane hai jab jab bate hai. We became slaves once our nation was split up into states, castes, and groups. Both the nation and its citizens were split. We shall thus be sliced if we split. In an interview with media report, Fadnavis said, “This is this nation’s history.”

“And I don’t understand that if someone says don’t divide, then what is the point of objecting to this?” he said.

In response to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s claim that the opposition was splitting the OBC group, Fadnavis said that Rahul Gandhi’s remarks made during the latter’s trip to the US had exposed their goals.

“In America, Rahul Ji has already indicated this. Rahul Ji has made a mistake, in my opinion. They were unaware that they were being followed everywhere by the media. Their mindset was so altered when they traveled to America and made remarks on the Constitution and reservations. Second, you can see how they are attempting to create distinct castes. The Prime Minister is correct. In Maharashtra, there are 350 OBC castes, according to Fadnavis.

According to the BJP spokesperson, the Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Class communities are pressure groups since they have 350 and 54 subcastes, respectively. According to Fadnavis, these communities won’t be able to organize that pressure group if they become separated.

“If an OBC community is formed by these 350 castes, it turns into a pressure group. Their pressure will be lessened if these 350 castes are divided. 54 distinct tribal groups make up an ST group if we discuss STs. The castes and sub-castes number fifty-four. They won’t continue to function as a pressure group if we split them apart,” he said.

A ‘Bharat Jodo’ community has emerged, and their goal is to promote chaos, Fadnavis added, making fun of the Congress party.

Anarchists are responsible for the actions of a group known as Bharat Jodo. Their goal is to sow chaos. Bharat Jodo is not these persons. India is going to be divided and destroyed,” he said.

During his extended campaigning in the poll-bound state, Fadanavis has also maintained his position that the Congress’s selective appeasement practices amounted to “Vote Jihad.”

“What did the Lok Sabha show us? We saw the Vote Jihad in the Lok Sabha. from a religious perspective. They would display posters saying that it would be dishonest to Allah if we did not vote for Maha Vikas Aghadi. This is the kind of banner they will display. I pose this question to all self-assured secularists: What kind of secularism is this? Will they force individuals to use profanity? And why? “Overcome Modi?” he asked.

“I want to offer you an example. Recently, the Ulema Council declared their support for the Aghadi. They made seventeen requests. In a standard agreement, they have said that they would comply with these 17 requests. That is not an issue for me. What are the requirements? One of the requests, let me tell you. Among the requests are the removal and return of all charges brought against members of the Muslim community during the riots that occurred in Maharashtra between 2012 and 2024. Let me ask you a question now. What kind of politics are at play here?

According to the BJP leader, we shall be devastated if a party chooses to confront the rioters while we stay split.

“In this way, if a party wants to fight with the rioters and we remain divided, then we will be destroyed,” Fadnavis said.

Both the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) and the governing Mahayuti are trying to win over voters in the heightened campaigning for Maharashtra’s 288 assembly seats. November 20 is the day of the Maharashtra assembly elections, while November 23 is the date of the count.