Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that Muslims in the state and across the country are safe only when the Hindus are safe.

In an interview with a news agency, CM Adityanath, whose government is commemorating eight years in power in Uttar Pradesh, spoke on a wide range of issues, including the fears of safety among Muslims, his government’s performance, and the future prospects of a third term.

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On being asked if Muslims are safe in the state, he said, “Muslims are the safest in Uttar Pradesh…If Hindus are safe, then Muslims are also safe here.”

He further stated, “A Muslim family living among 100 Hindu families is safe. It has the freedom to do all its religious deeds. But let alone one, even if 50 Hindu families live among 100 Muslim families, can they be safe? No. Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan are examples before you. If someone is being hit, we should be careful before we get hit… In Uttar Pradesh, Muslims are the safest. If Hindus are safe, then they are also safe. If there were riots here in UP before 2017, if Hindu shops were burning, Muslim shops were also burning. After 2017, the riots stopped. Now, if Hindus are safe, Muslims are also safe.”

On AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi’s remark that ‘Muslims are in danger’, he said, “Muslims are not in danger. Their (Asaduddin Owaisi’s) vote bank politics is in danger.”

He further elaborated, “The day Indian Muslims understand their ancestors, these people will have to pack their bags and leave… Indian Muslims will have to remember that they are safe only when Hindus and Hindu tradition are safe… Before 1947, Pakistan and Bangladesh were a part of India. How can we forget the truth? Isn’t there a Hinglaj Mata temple in Pakistan? Isn’t there a temple of Mata Dhakeshwari in Bangladesh?”

Addressing religious processions during Eid and Ram Navami, Adityanath stated, that an standard operating procedure(SOP) has already been prepared.

“We sit with the administration from time to time, and we have already prepared an SOP for this. Uttar Pradesh is the first state that has, according to the instructions of the Supreme Court, controlled the sound emanating from the premises of religious places. In a state like Uttar Pradesh, if we can do it, then why can’t we do it in West Bengal?”

Adityanath also spoke about the issue of mosques being covered with tarpaulin in Sambhal and other districts of Uttar Pradesh on the occasion of Holi.

“If you are playing with colours, it is possible that it can be put on someone, but it does not spoil one’s identity. There are processions during Muharram. Doesn’t the shadow of their flag fall on any Hindu house or near a Hindu temple? Does it make the house impure? There are strict instructions not to put colours on anyone who does not agree to it… Don’t they wear coloured clothes? You wear coloured clothes, but if colour is put on you, you create problems. Why the double standards? Hug each other. Many Muslims have played Holi with us,” he remarked.

Speaking on ongoing excavation work in Sambhal, he stated that the work is ongoing to find many more pilgrimage sites.

“Fifty-four pilgrimage sites have been identified in Sambhal. However there are many; we will find them and tell the world to come and see what has happened in Sambhal. Sambhal is the truth… Islam says that if you build any place of worship by breaking a Hindu temple or a Hindu house, it is not accepted by the Almighty,” said the UP CM.

Speaking about the issue of Shahi Idgah Mosque- Krishna Janmabhoomi land dispute in Mathura, Adityanath said that Mathura is the birthplace of Lord Krishna and it is a symbol of Hindu heritage.

“We are following the orders of the court or else by now, a lot would have happened there… Why should I not raise the issue of Mathura? Isn’t Mathura the birthplace of Shri Krishna? All the important places of Sanatana Hindu Dharma are the symbols of our heritage,” he said.

The UP CM also addressed the issue of the Mahakumbh stampede in which the Opposition claimed “thousands were killed”.

“There is a judicial commission, and it is working according to the directions given by Allahabad High Court and the Supreme Court. They are working on all the evidence and recording statements. We will take further action based on the findings in the report,” he stated.

He also slammed West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee’s “Mrityu Kumbh” remarks, accusing the Opposition parties of insulting the “faith of the country”.

“It was ‘Mrityunjay Mahakumbh’…(Death Conqueror Mahakumbh)The government of West Bengal was scared to see this crowd. People at their railway stations and airports were eager to go to Prayagraj. Whether it is West Bengal government, Congress, RJD or Samajwadi Party, whatever they have said about the Mahakumbh is an example of their appeasement politics and an attempt to insult the faith of the country,” the chief minister said.

The UP CM, while commenting on Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra, called the Congress leader a “namuna” (character or specimen) in Indian politics that helps the BJP.

“Bharat ki rajneeti mein BJP ke liye Rahul Gandhi jaise kuch namune zaroor rehne chahiye… His ‘Bharat Jodo’ is a part of ‘Bharat Todo Abhiyan’. When he goes to the South, he criticises the North. When he goes to the North, he criticises the South. When he goes outside India, he will criticise India. The country has understood his conduct.”

On the recent controversy over Samajwadi Party MP Ramji Lal Suman’s remarks on Rana Sanga, Adityanath said nothing more can be expected from those who glorify Mughal emperor Aurangzeb.

“We cannot expect anything from those who glorify Aurangzeb, Babur, and consider Jinnah as their idol… Only these people who know history glorify Jinnah… This is the same breed that worships Babur, Aurangzeb, and Jinnah. We can very well figure out what their feelings will be towards the country, India’s heritage, and the great men of India. These people are also opportunistic. It won’t take them long to take a U-turn,” he said.

Adityanath also defended the bulldozer justice, saying “Jo jaise samjhega, usko ussi bhasha mein samjhana chahiye (As one understands, they should be taught in the same language).”

Discussing his government’s achievements in the last eight years, he said the widespread support from the people that he has received is the biggest achievement of his government.

“I believe in a democracy, the biggest achievement for any government should be the satisfaction of the people. The roadmap our government prepared for the overall development of Uttar Pradesh, under the guidance and leadership of PM (Narendra)Modi, has received widespread support from the people, and I consider this as an achievement of the government,” he said.

On his national ambitions and the prospects of a third term as CM, he said, “Seva, Suraksha, Sushasan (Triple S) is an example of a three-time government. I will not try, our party will try. Any worker of the BJP can become the Chief Minister.”

He added, “I am the Chief Minister even today, and in the last 8 years, due to the leadership of my party and the blessings we have received from the people, this is the first time after independence where a Chief Minister worked continuously for 5 years and then formed the government for the second time with a two-thirds majority.”