Lucknow, (thestates.news) |Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday said that in Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim country, Lord Ram is considered an ancestor, but will the country’s largest minority population, a victim of vote bank, accept that Ram was their ancestor.
Highlighting Indonesia’s strong cultural ties with India at a private channel event held in Lucknow, the CM said, “Indonesia is the largest Muslim country in the world. Its President is proud of his Indian DNA and his name is also inspired by Sanskrit.
In Indonesia, Ram is considered an ancestor, Garuda is their national airline, Ganpati is printed on their currency and Ram Leela is their national festival. Living in India, the large population that consumes this land, which has unfortunately become only a vote bank, will they be able to accept that their ancestor was Ram.”
He shared his views on several pressing issues, including the rights of minorities, power theft, the Waqf Act, appeasement politics, and preparations for Maha Kumbh. He urged India’s minorities to take pride in their ancestors, citing Indonesia as an example.
On the changes to the Waqf Act, Yogi addressed opposition warnings and said, “The amendments to the Waqf Act are a necessity of the times. I am glad the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) has worked on this, and I hope it will be implemented in the next session.”
He emphasised that the goal of such changes is to ensure transparency and justice in society. “Just as the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) was implemented to benefit minorities from neighboring countries, the amended Waqf Bill will also be enforced,” he said. The CM pointed out discrepancies in Waqf land claims in UP. “Waqf has no land of its own. It’s revenue land. Waqf had claimed 1.27 lakh properties in the state, but upon investigation, only 7,000 were found to be valid.”
He stressed that public property belongs to the Revenue Department and should serve public or administrative purposes. Referring to Sambhal, he said that even there, no objections were raised.
Addressing the ongoing dispute surrounding the Shahi Jama Masjid in Sambhal, Yogi stressed the importance of historical evidence and ancient scriptures. He referred to mentions of Sambhal in the Puranas and Ain-i-Akbari, stating that the latter records how Mir Baqi demolished a temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu to construct the mosque.
He said, “We are not looking for temples everywhere, but where historical evidence exists, it is important to bring the truth to light.” Responding to remarks by AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi, the CM pointed out that Indian scriptures offer clear evidence of the significance of Sambhal. “The Puranas, written over 3,500 to 5,000 years ago, detail the place of Lord Vishnu’s 10th incarnation. Islam came into existence only 1,400 years ago, and we have no issue with it. However, the historical facts cannot be ignored,” he said.
He urged sceptics to refer to Ain-i-Akbari and consider the findings from archaeological excavations in Sambhal. “The excavations reveal evidence of an ancient city mentioned in the Puranas. These findings align with the traditional beliefs of the people. If such truths are emerging, I believe everyone should have the courage to accept them,” he said.
Taking a strong stance on power theft in Sambhal, the CM highlighted its adverse impact on the state’s power sector. He said that Sambhal, with a population of just three lakhs, incurred power theft worth Rs 200 crore monthly. Temporary substations were even set up atop mosques to facilitate the theft.He said, “We conducted raids on four mosques and disconnected illegal connections. This was an injustice to consumers who pay their bills on time.”
He further emphasised the financial burden on the UP Power Corporation, which is currently facing an annual loss of Rs 46,000 crore, projected to rise to Rs 60,000 crore next year. “In Sambhal alone, 90 percent of electricity was being stolen. Such inefficiencies had to be addressed,” he said.
Yogi also criticised the Delhi government, comparing the electricity rates and power supply conditions in both states. “In Delhi, electricity costs Rs 9-10 per unit, while in UP, it is Rs 3.5 per unit. Yet, Delhi faces frequent power cuts,” he said. (UNI)