Razakars burned down your family: Adityanath’s reminder to Congress chief

In a no-holds-barred attack on Mallikarjun Kharge over alleged appeasement politics of Congress, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday said the Congress chief forgot his family’s sacrifice for votes. Raking up Kharge’s childhood tragedy, Adityanath mentioned how Hyderabad Nizam’s Razakars burned down his village in 1948, killing his mother and sister.
Addressing a rally in Maharashtra’s Achalpur, Adityanath responded to Kharge’s criticism of his “batenge toh katenge (we will perish if divided)” slogan. “I am a Yogi, and for me, the nation comes first, while for Mallikarjun Kharge, appeasement politics comes first,” the fiery BJP leader said.
He then went on to recount Kharge’s childhood tragedy during the political unrest in Hyderabad before its integration into India. Kharge was born in the Bidar region of erstwhile Hyderabad state, ruled by the Nizams.
“Kharge ji, don’t get angry at me… If you want to get angry, get angry at Hyderabad Nizam. The Hyderabad Nizam’s Razakars burnt your village, brutally killed Hindus, and burnt your respected mother, sister, your family members. Present this truth before the country that whenever they are divided, they will be divided in the same brutal manner,” Adityanath said.
In 1948, Hyderabad’s Nizam resisted the integration of Hyderabad into India. The Razakars were a pro-Nizam militia and carried out atrocities against the local Hindus who supported the integration. The Army invaded Hyderabad and defeated Nizam’s forces.
“Kharge is hesitant to acknowledge this truth, fearing it might harm his appeal to Muslim voters,” Adityanath said.
The UP Chief Minister also took potshots at the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance. “The MVA has turned Maharashtra into a hub of ‘love jihad’ and ‘land jihad’. They are an alliance that undermines national integrity,” Adityanath said.
Adityanath’s comeback came after Kharge said a “true yogi” would never make remarks like “batenge toh katenge” and stressed that such language was used by “terrorists”.
“Many leaders dress in ‘gerua’ robes and have shaved heads, some even becoming chief ministers. If you are a sanyasi, wear ‘gerua’ and stay out of politics,” Kharge said at a rally on Monday.
Adityanath’s “batenge toh katenge” slogan has been the pivot of the BJP’s campaign in the Maharashtra election. It is being seen as a rallying cry for Hindu vote consolidation and to discourage caste-based voting.
Reacting to Adityanath’s remarks, Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Ajay Rai said Kharge has always worked to unite the nation.
“Whatever happened to Mallikarjun Kharge’s family, whatever the situation was, at that time, people of all classes stood together, be it Hindus or Muslims. We all support what Kharge said, Rai told India Today.