Firebrand Hindu Cleric Yogi Adityanath Picked as Uttar Pradesh Minister
Source: New York Times
Firebrand Hindu Cleric Yogi Adityanath Picked as Uttar Pradesh Minister
By ELLEN BARRY MARCH 18, 2017
NEW DELHI Indias governing party on Saturday appointed a firebrand Hindu cleric to lead the countrys most populous state, a turning point for a government that has, until now, steered clear of openly embracing far-right Hindu causes.
The choice of Yogi Adityanath who has been repeatedly accused of stirring anti-Muslim sentiments to lead Uttar Pradesh, came as a shock to many political observers here, who have become accustomed to the carefully moderated public positions of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in line with his projected image as a pro-development leader and global statesman.
Mr. Adityanath has openly called for India to be enshrined as a Hindu rashtra, or Hindu nation, and supports the rebuilding of a temple to the Hindu god Ram, also known as Rama, on the site of a razed 16th-century mosque, a project that was halted after it incited bloody religious riots in the 1990s.
With the appointment, Mr. Modi is unveiling a vision of benign majoritarianism, said Shekhar Gupta, a longtime editor and political talk show host. That means its a Hindu country, thats the fact, and well be nice to you if you behave yourself.
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