Yogi Adityanath Calls 15th Century Assamese Saint "Cultural Nationalist"

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath who was in Assam to campaign for the assembly elections on Wednesday said the 15th century saint and scholar Srimanta Sankardev was among the first to pitch "sanskritik rashtravaad (cultural nationalism)" and "protect the land".

"I salute this land which is also the land of one of India's pioneer Sanskritik Rashtravaad Srimanta Sankardev. Because of him, this land was saved," Adityanath, said addressing a crowd in central Assam's Hojai district.

In Assam, Sankardev was mostly associated with the Neo-Vaishnavite movement that propagated Ekasarana Dharma that rejects focus on Vedic ritualism and instead focuses on devotion in the form of congregational listening and singing at Naam Ghar, a common place.

Hitting out at the Congress, Adityanath in his speech set up a hypothetical situation on the opposition party being around in the 15th century.

"If Congress were around then, they would have allowed in ghuspaithi (infiltrators) and would have made this land a threat to India's integrity like it has now done in several parts of the country. But, I am glad Srimanta Sankardev was around who had contributed in protecting this land," Adityanath said.

Targeting settlers of Bangladeshi origin, the BJP has made the "fight to save Assamese civilization" an important part of its election campaign.

Adityanath was in Assam to campaign for the BJP in three western Assam constituencies, Hojai, Kalaigaon, and Rangiya.

Assam will vote for a new government in three phases starting March 27 and results will be announced on May 2. The state is expected to see a high-stakes fight between the ruling BJP, battling resentment over issues like the centre's new citizenship law, and the alliance of the Congress and AIUDF. Making it a three-cornered fight are a clutch of new parties born out of the agitation against the Citizenship Amendment Act.