Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath revealed the meaning behind his controversial slogan ‘batenge toh katenge’, saying that he raised the slogan after some people objected to a statue of a mediaeval general belonging to the ‘teli caste' in Agra.
In an interview with News18, UP CM Yogi Adityanath said that he had unveiled the statue during the Haryana elections and it was there that he gave the slogan.
“During the Haryana elections, I visited Mathura and had the opportunity to unveil the statue of Durga Das Rathore in Agra. In the medieval era, Durgadas Rathore was a very valiant general of the Jodhpur king Maharaja Jaswant Singh. Rathore protected the family of the king when he was martyred in Aurangzeb's deceitful attacks. When Prince Ajit Singh grew up, he made him the king of Jodhpur again. All those who associate with the story, and who belong to the ‘Teli’ caste wanted to install a statue in Agra, but some communities were opposing it. In the end, a compromise was reached, and the statue was installed, and it was there that I raised the slogan, "‘Batoge toh Katoge”, he said in the interview.
The UP CM said that the slogan resembles the ‘Ek Rahoge toh Safe rahoge’ slogan given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
{{/usCountry}}The UP CM said that the slogan resembles the ‘Ek Rahoge toh Safe rahoge’ slogan given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
{{/usCountry}}“PM Modi also said, ‘Ek rahoge toh safe rahoge.’ This is the same message conveyed by the Mahakumbh,” he added.
What was the ‘Batenge toh Katenge’ controversy?
Yogi Adityanath had sparked a controversy in the run up to the Haryana assembly elections by giving the slogan ‘batenge toh katenge' in August last year.
He referred to the unrest in Bangladesh and alleged attacks on minorities after the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government, saying those mistakes should not be repeated in the country.
“Nothing can be above the nation. And the nation will be empowered only when we are united. 'Batenge to Katenge'. You are seeing what is happening in Bangladesh. Those mistakes should not be repeated here... 'Batenge to Katenge, Ek Rahenge to Nek Rahenge,” the UP chief minister had said at a public meeting in Agra.
The opposition has slammed the remarks, linking it to the BJP’s alleged anti-muslim politics. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav had called it the ‘worst slogan in the country's history.’