3 hours agoWriter: Rajesh Sahu
Yogi Adityanath will turn 50 on June 5. In the next four days, we will bring stories related to them. Today’s story is from March 2017. When Yogi became the CM, the foreign media even wrote him a Hindu extremist. When BJP supporters came out in protest, foreign journalists came backfoot. When he became CM again in 2022, the tone of foreign media had changed.
In the 21st story of Political Characters and Tales series, we will first talk about foreign media coverage of 2017 and then of 2022.
New York Times writes Hindu extremist for Yogi
On 11 March 2017, BJP won a record 325 out of 403 assembly seats in UP. For the next 6 days, the churning continued within the party regarding the name of the Chief Minister. On March 17, it was announced that Yogi Adityanath would be the new Chief Minister of UP. Yogi took oath on 19 March. After this, the foreign media Yogi started publishing reports on the basis of Yogi’s old speeches and statements.
Yogi Adityanath became the Chief Minister of UP on 19 March 2017 at the age of 45. He was not in the race for the post of CM before the elections.
Ellen Berry of the New York Times wrote in an article, “Adityanath has openly said that India should be declared a Hindu nation and a Ram temple should be built at the disputed site of Ayodhya.” In the same article, he quoted Shekhar Gupta as saying, “This appointment by Modi shows that Muslims have been completely marginalized by denying Nehruvian socialism.”
Ellen Berry shared this article on Twitter on July 12, 2017 and captioned it, “India’s political progress for Hindu temple extremist leader.” The word militant created a ruckus. Allen was targeted by BJP leaders and workers. Very badly said. In the end, Allen wrote in his clarification, we had used the word extremist in an aggressive and effective sense.
The next day the heading of the same report was changed and written, “Firebrand Hindu religious leader’s progress in the politics of India.”
After the New York Times article, Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij had condemned and demanded an apology.
The Guardian mentions the cases against Yogi
Britain’s The Guardian wrote, “The Yogi Adityanath who has been chosen by Narendra Modi as a leader in the region of the holy Ganges river and the Taj Mahal is a Hindu nationalist like him. Adityanath is a Hindu priest. Despite becoming an MP for five times, he has shown abusive attitude towards democratic norms. He is facing charges of attempt to murder, rioting.
The Washington Post wrote, Yogi’s supporters shout slogans for Muslims to leave the country
Swati Gupta and Annie Gowen wrote in the Washington Post of America, Adityanath’s supporters often chant Hindutva slogans and demand that Muslims should leave the country. Yogi Adityanath had praised Donald Trump’s decision in which Trump had banned the travel of people from 7 Muslim-majority countries to America.
When Yogi Adityanath became CM again in 2022, the language of the Washington Post had changed. Wrote- Modi will be strengthened by this victory.
The News wrote, Hindutva embarrassed by Yogi getting the post
Imtiaz Alam wrote in The News of Pakistan, ‘The whole of India has been surprised by Yogi getting power. The supporters of Hindutva are also ashamed. Yogi has an extremist organization named Hindu Yuva Vahini. The communal conflict in eastern UP may be more serious. This will compel the Muslims to go to another show’.
No one made issue of Yogi’s tenure as MP
Shantanu Gupta, who wrote the book ‘Yoginama’ on the life of Yogi Adityanath, writes, ‘It is unfortunate that journalists of BBC, New York Times and Washington Post did very lucky reporting by translating cheap newspapers. None of them even mentioned Yogi’s record as an MP, the questions he raised, his behavior in the constituency.
In 2022, BJP won again in UP and Yogi became CM. This time the tone of the foreign media had changed. Let us know what he wrote.
New York Times wrote, Yogi will now be the possible successor of Modi
In 2022, BJP again formed the government by winning 273 seats. It got 52 seats less than in 2017, but there was no problem in forming the government. Yogi again became CM. The New York Times then wrote, “This victory will strengthen Yogi Adityanath. He is being considered as a possible successor to Modi. This victory is also important because the economic difficulties of the people have not eased.”
After the victory of BJP in 2022, the New York Times has considered Yogi in its article as a possible successor to Modi.
The Washington Post wrote, “With this victory, Modi will be very strong. He will be able to focus on the vision of a Hindu country instead of a secular state. Winning more than 250 seats in 403 means a strong government will be formed there. Modi’s popularity is not only It has persisted but has only increased.”
Pakistan’s The Dawn wrote, “There is no doubt that these results give a glimpse and an idea of the results of the Lok Sabha elections to be held in 2024. The BJP is a party of Hindu nationalists and has won more than half of the 403 seats.” The Express Tribune of Pakistan has also reiterated the same point.
The Dawn in its article talked about the BJP’s lead in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Not only did the views of foreign media change regarding Yogi Adityanath, but the big journalists of the country also changed their views.