The UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath highlighted Indonesia’s strong cultural ties to India, noting that despite being a Muslim-majority country, Indonesia honours its Indian heritage with traditions like Ramlila, a national airline named Garuda, and Ganpati featured on its currency.

He also noted that the Indonesian President’s name is inspired by Sanskrit and posed a thought-provoking question: “Would a significant portion of India’s population, often viewed as a ‘vote bank,’ accept Lord Ram as their ancestor, despite benefiting from the land and its resources?”

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He further shared his views on several pressing issues, including the rights of minorities, electricity theft, the Waqf Act, appeasement politics, and preparations for Mahakumbh 2025. He urged India’s minorities to take pride in their ancestors, citing Indonesia as an example. The CM was speaking at a private channel’s event held here on Tuesday.

On the changes to the Waqf Act, Yogi firmly addressed Opposition warnings, stating, “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 emphasized 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 neighbouring countries, the amended Waqf Bill will also be enforced,” he remarked.

He pointed out discrepancies in Waqf land claims in Uttar Pradesh. “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 added that even there, no objections were raised.

Addressing the ongoing dispute surrounding the Shahi Jama Masjid in Sambhal, he asserted 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.“We are not looking for temples everywhere, but where historical evidence exists, it is important to bring the truth to light,” the CM said.

Responding to remarks by AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi, he 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 added.

He urged skeptics 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 remarked.

Taking a strong stance on electricity theft in Sambhal, the Chief Minister highlighted its adverse impact on the state’s power sector. He said that Sambhal, with a population of just three lakhs, incurred electricity theft worth Rs 200 crore monthly. Temporary substations were even set up atop mosques to facilitate the theft.

“We conducted raids on four mosques and disconnected illegal connections. This was an injustice to consumers who pay their bills on time,” he stated. He further emphasized the financial burden on the Uttar Pradesh 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 per cent of electricity was being stolen. Such inefficiencies had to be addressed,” he added.

Yogi also criticized 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 Uttar Pradesh, it is Rs 3.5 per unit. Yet, Delhi faces frequent power cuts,” he said.