In west UP, Yogi recalls Kairana exodus, reasserts ‘batenge toh katenge pitch'

Hindustan Times

a day ago

: Reasserting his 'batenge toh katenge' pitch in western Uttar Pradesh, chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday recalled the Hindu exodus from Kairana and Kandhla, an issue that had gained prominence in 2016 and played out in the 2017 Uttar Pradesh assembly polls which the BJP won, marking the beginning of Adityanath's innings as CM.
Yogi Adityanath made the remark during his address at the Sant Samagam and Satsang event at Shukteerth, Muzaffarnagar.
The Kairana and Kandhla migration controversy, often termed the 'Hindu exodus,' refers to claims of mass migration of Hindu families from these towns in Shamli district of western Uttar Pradesh between 2014 and 2016. The then BJP MP Hukum Singh had alleged in June 2016 that over 346 Hindu families fled Kairana, and later 63 from Kandhla, due to threats and extortion by Muslim criminals, notably Mukim Kala. A National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) report partially supported the claims, stating some families left due to fear. The controversy, amplified before the 2017 UP elections but was criticized as a BJP tactic to polarise voters.
Hukum Singh partially backtracked on his initial claims about the 'Hindu exodus' from Kairana and Kandhla in UP. Singh later clarified on June 14, 2016, that the migration was 'not communal' but due to law and order issues and threats by goons. He omitted the word 'Hindu' from the Kandhla list's title and acknowledged the issue was about crime, not religion, though he stood by the lists' core claims.
Seen as a call for unity and warning against social divisions, the phrase 'batenge toh katenge' (if we divide, we will be cut/destroyed) is a political slogan frequently used by Adityanath and other Bharatiya Janata Party leaders. It is often accompanied by the slogan 'Ek rahenge toh nek rahenge' (if we stay united, we will remain well/prosperous).'
Adityanath himself first used the slogan in August 2024 and subsequently in the Uttar Pradesh assembly bypolls and the Haryana and Maharashtra assembly polls.
Adityanath's remarks, seen as a counter to Akhilesh Yadav's PDA (Pichde, Dalit, Alpsankhyak) campaign, are expected to resonate in his future addresses too.
For his part, the chief minister, who was speaking at the 65th death anniversary of Sant Swami Gyan Bhikshuk Das Ji Maharaj and in memory of Satguru Samandas Ji Maharaj in Muzaffarnagar on Wednesday, said unity, inspired by the teachings of saints, is the antidote to such societal fractures.
'When the country was struggling under foreign invasions during the medieval period and its culture and religion were under attack, Satguru Ravidas Ji emerged as a divine light.'
Ravidas led by example, offering the nation spiritual guidance that still resonates today, he said.
'Guru Ravidas and Swami Bhikshuk Das have shown us the path of unity, which prevents incidents like Kairana and Kandhla,' Yogi Adityanath told a large gathering.
'This path ensures our security, progress, and strength in all circumstances.'
'He (Ravidas) raised awareness against social evils and blind practices, inspired faith in action over ritual, and kindled spiritual consciousness,' Adityanath said, and quoted Ravidas's famous saying, 'Mann changa to katoti mein Ganga' – If the mind is pure, divinity resides even in the smallest vessel.
Highlighting the BJP-led government's efforts, he noted the transformation of Sant Ravidas's birthplace in Seer Govardhan, Varanasi.
'Before 2014, it was accessible only by a single-lane road. We built a four-lane highway, a grand ashram, a magnificent statue, an 'Anna Kshetra,' and a park,' he said.
He credited PM Narendra Modi's vision, citing the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana, which provides free food grains to 81 crore people, as a realisation of Ravidas's dream of equality.
Describing Shukteerth as a sacred site where Shukdev narrated the first Shrimad Bhagavat 5,000 years ago, Adityanathi called Sanatan Dharma the only tradition with such an unbroken spiritual legacy. He announced infrastructure upgrades for the Samandas Ashram, including a ghat, widened roads, beautification, parking, and a satsang hall.
He praised Ravidas's guru, Sant Ramanand, for spreading the message: 'Jaat-paat poochhe nahi koi, Hari ko bhaje so Hari ka ho (No one asks about caste, those who worship Hari become one with Hari).'
The chief minister criticised past governments for neglecting Babasaheb Ambedkar's legacy, noting that PM Modi established the Panchteerths and declared November 26 as the Constitution Day.
Shukteerth, or Shukratal, in Muzaffarnagar draws pilgrims from across India.
Nestled along the banks of the Ganga River, the destination lies approximately 28 kilometres from Muzaffarnagar.
Those present at the event included Mahant Govardhan Das Maharaj, Swami Omanand Maharaj, Nirmal Das Maharaj, MP Chandan Chauhan, ministers Anil Kumar, Kapil Dev Agarwal, Somendra Tomar, former MP Sanjeev Balyan, and MLAs Rajpal Balyan, Vandana Verma, Mithilesh Pal, and Vikram Saini.