Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, citing the case of neighbouring Bangladesh, has made a strong pitch for national unity, saying " Batenge toh katenge (If we are divided, we will be destroyed)." The nation, he added, "will be empowered only when we stay united".
Speaking at a rally in Agra today, the Chief Minister said, "Nothing can be above the nation. And the nation will be empowered only when we are united".
"You are seeing what is happening in Bangladesh. Those mistakes should not be repeated here... batenge to katenge, ek rahenge to nek rahenge," he added, while addressing a gathering after unveiling a statue in Agra.
The Chief Minister had accused the Opposition of playing divisive politics yesterday, saying they are more concerned about vote bank than the plight of Hindus in the Bangladesh after Sheikh Hasina stepped down from the post of Prime Minister and left the country.
"While the opposition is quick to speak out on global issues, it has remained conspicuously silent about the persecution of Hindus and the demolition of temples in Bangladesh. They see Palestine but turn a blind eye to Bangladesh because of fears of losing their vote bank," he said.
"We must unite to expose and counter those divisive forces that seek to fracture society for their petty interests," he added.
In his address today, he encapsulated a veiled warning.
"We will work for unity. We will not allow anyone any scope of spreading divisiveness in society, be it in the name of case, region, language, or an any other ground. We should be wary of such people and we should do our duty as citizens," he added.
(With agencies)