Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, on Monday 29 October, claimed that Hindus and Sikhs were safe in Kashmir till the State was ruled by a Hindu king.
Speaking at the ‘Sikh Samagam’ in Lucknow organised by the state BJP unit, Adityanath said:
“Till the time Kashmir was ruled by a Hindu king, Hindus and Sikhs were safe in the state. With the downfall of the Hindu king, the downfall of Hindus also started. What is the condition there today?Can anyone claim that they are safe? They cannot. We should learn from history.”
Noting that divisive forces were at play in Kashmir, Adityanath said, “If we let divisive forces succeed, we will also end up being as insecure as the condition of Afghanistan is today. Earlier, Hindus and Sikhs used to be influential groups in Kabul but today there are only around 100 members of these communities left there and their condition is also very bad.”
He added that the people should not make such mistakes that will result in them blaming themselves like in Kashmir, Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Saying that he has ordered an SIT probe into cases related to the 1984 riots in the state, Adityanath promised to name significant institutions after Guru Nanak, Guru Teg Bahadur and Guru Gobind Singh. He also promised to celebrate Guru Nanak’s 550th birth anniversary in a grand manner in the state.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)