Don’t choose ‘medieval bigotry’: Kerala leaders respond to Yogi’s comments

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s statement that “it will not be long before Uttar Pradesh becomes like Kashmir, Bengal and Kerala” if voters choose a different government in Uttar Pradesh was roundly criticised on Thursday.

Ahead of the first phase of polling in UP, Adityanath appeared in a video claiming that “rioters who have been restrained are getting impatient” and “terrorists are repeatedly issuing threats”.

“I have to tell you something that is there in my heart. A lot of wonderful things have happened in these five years. Beware! If you miss, the labour of these five years will be spoiled. It would not take much time for Uttar Pradesh to become Kashmir, Kerala and Bengal,” Adityanath said.

उत्तर प्रदेश के मेरे मतदाता भाइयों एवं बहनों… pic.twitter.com/voB37uA3uV

— Yogi Adityanath (@myogiadityanath) February 9, 2022

Adityanath’s comments were condemned by political leaders in Kerala. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said: “If UP turns into Kerala as @myogiadityanath fears, it will enjoy the best education, health services, social welfare, living standards and have a harmonious society.”

If UP turns into Kerala as @myogiadityanath fears, it will enjoy the best education, health services, social welfare, living standards and have a harmonious society in which people won’t be murdered in the name of religion and caste. That’s what the people of UP would want.

— Pinarayi Vijayan (@vijayanpinarayi) February 10, 2022

Dear #UP, vote to be like Kerala. Choose plurality, harmony, inclusive development to medieval bigotry. Keralites, Bengalis and Kashmiris are also proud Indians. #kerala #democracy #religiousharmony #UPElections2022

— V D Satheesan (@vdsatheesan) February 10, 2022

Leader of the Opposition V D Satheesan urged UP voters to choose “plurality, harmony, inclusive development” over “medieval bigotry”.

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said that UP would be “so lucky” if it gets Kashmir’s beauty, Bengal’s culture and Kerala’s education.

“UP will turn into Kashmir, Bengal or Kerala if BJP doesn’t come to power, @myogiadityanath tells voters. UP should be so lucky!! Kashmir’s beauty, Bengal’s culture & Kerala’s education would do wonders for the place,” the Lok Sabha member from Thiruvanathapuram tweeted.

In 2016 Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s compared Kerala with Somalia.

At an election rally he said that “infant mortality rate among the scheduled tribe community in Kerala is worse than Somalia”. The PM’s comments backfired, with several experts pointing out that Kerala has the lowest infant mortality rates in India.

Then chief minister Oommen Chandy said Modi’s remarks were “baseless”.

“You made statements that had nothing to do with reality and likened Kerala to Somalia. This is unbecoming of a prime minister and has created a great deal of agony,” Chandy wrote.

Kerala leads most Indian states on nearly every social development indicator.

Last year it retained the top rank in Niti Aayog’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) India Index 2020-21 for the third consecutive year. Since its launch in December 2018, Kerala has been topping the index, which has become the primary tool for monitoring progress on the SDGs in the country.