Those raising partition issue ‘in a way’ supporting Taliban: Adityanath
'Supporting the Taliban means supporting a power that works against humanity, against Lord Buddha’s message of maitri [friendship]. Certain people are moving in that direction and we need to be aware of them,' Yogi added
Those who are raising the issue of partition are in a way supporting the Taliban, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said on Sunday.
His remark was seen as a veiled dig at the Samajwadi Party (SP). Om Prakash Rajbhar, the chief of the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party, an ally of the SP, had on Thursday blamed the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh for the country’s partition, a day after saying India would have remained unified had Muhammad Ali Jinnah been made its first prime minister.
Earlier, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav had equated Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan, with Mahatma Gandhi, Vallabhbhai Patel and Jawaharlal Nehru.
Addressing the Samajik Pratinidhi Sammelan in Lucknow, Adityanath said: “Those who are speaking about the partition are in a way extending support to the Taliban. As soon as the Taliban resurfaced in Afghanistan, a number of voices started to come up in its support. When strong action was taken, these voices went soft.”
“Supporting the Taliban means supporting a power that works against humanity, against Lord Buddha’s message of maitri [friendship]. Certain people are moving in that direction and we need to be aware of them,” he added.
The BJP leader said those supporting the Taliban need to learn from the past. “We should not forget how Buddha’s statues were destroyed in Bamiyan [in Afghanistan] by the Taliban. Breaking the statues of Buddha means trying to put an end to peace. Twenty years ago, when this incident took place, we thought that one day, they [Taliban] will face misfortune. A few days later, the US dropped bombs on them. Back then, I had said they reaped what they sowed,” he said.
Without naming any political party, the CM said: “The opposition does not have any issue to raise… Rashtranayak [national hero] Sardar Patel is on one side and Jinnah, who divided the country, is on the other. They support Jinnah and insult Patel. But we support Patel. He is a rashtranayak while Jinnah will remain a villain for centuries. Will you support those supporting Jinnah?”