Invoke Ambedkar but imitate Jogendra Nath Mandal to divide on caste: Adityanath targets opposition

Bijnor (UP), Jul 17 (PTI) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday gave the example of B R Ambedkar and Jogendra Nath Mandal, two Independence-era leaders, to draw a distinction between those who work for national interest and those who seek to create division. Addressing an event in Bijnor, Adityanath, in an apparent attack on opposition leaders, said some people incite conflict between Hindus in the name of caste but fall silent when Dalits face oppression. He was in Bijnor district on Friday to inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of 76 development projects worth over Rs 1,003 crore. Adityanath said that when the country was fighting for its independence, two great figures became the voice of the Dalits at the time: Bhimrao Ambedkar and Jogendra Nath Mandal, who later became the Minister of Law and Labour in Pakistan. Ambedkar fought tirelessly for the country's downtrodden, Dalits, and backward classes, he said. "Today, both within India and across the world, he is revered by society at large as a messiah for the downtrodden and Dalits. This is the battle of those two great figures -- one worked for the nation's interest, while the other worked for the country's Partition," Adityanath said. The chief minister said some people today want to be like Jogendra Nath Mandal. "They take the name of Babasaheb (Ambedkar), but their actions are like those of Jogendra Nath Mandal. Whenever Dalits face oppression, these people fall silent as if their mouths have been sealed with adhesive. "However, when it comes to inciting conflict between Hindus in the name of caste, they do not hesitate to commit the sin of tearing apart the social fabric of the country by pitting Dalits against Jats, Brahmins, Gujjars, Kshatriyas, and Vaishyas," Adityanath said. He said people must remain vigilant and cautious against this "malice" that is dividing and weakening the country. "They have no agenda for development. Instead, they mislead society. They aim to suppress the voices of the poor through anarchy and hooliganism. This should not be accepted," the CM said. Taking on the Congress, Adityanath said the party has "always humiliated" Ambedkar but he remained strongly committed to the freedom struggle throughout. "In contrast, Jogendra Nath Mandal allowed himself to be misled by the Muslim League. The country gained independence. Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar became India's law minister, while Jogendra Nath Mandal moved to Pakistan and became its law minister. The result? The partition of the country. Even after the partition, the massacre of Hindus did not end. "When Jogendra Nath Mandal urged the (then) prime minister of Pakistan to halt the massacre (of Hindus), the PM replied that they can't stop it because Pakistan was created as an Islamic country. Mandal was forced to flee for his life and return to India," he said. For the next 15 to 17 years, Mandal lived in obscurity before fading into the pages of history forever, Adityanath said. PTI NAV SKY SKY