Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s ‘caution’ against “becoming Kashmir, Bengal and Kerala” has created a flutter in the political circles of the State with both the ruling and Opposition fronts taking umbrage, even as the State unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) justified the remarks.
In an unsparing riposte, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan tweeted: “If UP turns into Kerala as @myogiadiyanath fears, it will enjoy the best education, health services, social welfare, living standards and have a harmonious society in which people won’t be murdered in the name of religion and caste. That’s what the people of UP would want. (sic)”
State first
Mr. Vijayan also added Kerala led the country in most indicators of development, including education, health, sanitation, religious harmony, life expectancy, gender equality, income and social security. Such achievements have been validated by the Centre as well as its various agencies in its surveys.
Among the various indices, the State was found to have the least poverty by NITI Aayog in its Multi-dimensional Poverty Index of 2020-21. By bringing down the infant mortality rate to 6, Kerala competed with developed nations such as the U.S. in this regard, he said in a statement issued later in the day.
Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan also took to Twitter to respond to Mr. Adityanath’s comments. “Dear #UP, vote to be like Kerala. Choose plurality, harmony, inclusive development to medieval bigotry. Keralites, Bengalis and Kashmiris are also proud Indians (sic),” he tweeted.
In a tweet, Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor said UP would be “so lucky” if it gets “Kashmir’s beauty, Bengal’s culture and Kerala’s education”.
BJP charge
With the issue having put the BJP on the defensive, party State president K. Surendran claimed Mr. Adityanath’s view was a commentary on the alleged misgovernance that had affected Kerala’s growth and not a snide remark aimed at its dignity as was being portrayed by the party’s opponents.
Taking a swipe at Mr. Vijayan, the BJP leader wondered why the Chief Minister flew to the U.S. for his treatment while boasting of the State’s achievement in various sectors, including health care. He also accused the government of adopting a soft stance towards extremist elements and failing miserably to control the COVID-19 spread in the State.
