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Internal elements out to divide society: Yogi Adityanath
Without naming it, Adityanath appeared to be referring to the recent Dalit agitation that led to 11 deaths across the country on April 2.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday warned people against ‘internal elements’ which wanted to divide the society.
“The Indian soldier is capable of safeguarding the country against external attacks. But what about such ‘internal’ elements which want to divide the society,” the chief minister said at an event organised by a Nagpur- based organization, The Hindu Foundation, to mark the 161st martyrdom anniversary of Mangal Pandey, the first freedom fighter to lay down his life in the 1857 First War of Independence against the British.
Without naming it, Adityanath appeared to be referring to the recent Dalit agitation that led to 11 deaths across the country on April 2. “Many ‘forces’ do not want powerful India. Such people are all out to de-destabilize the country,” he said.
Attacking sympathisers of terrorists, the CM said: “For some people terrorism in Kashmir and naxalism also have a human face. People must beware of such elements in the society.”
He also spoke about Uttar Pradesh’s contribution in the freedom struggle.
He mentioned the Kakori train robbery that took place on August 9, 1925 during the India’s independence movement.
The CM also talked about the Chauri Chaura incident in Gorakhpur and the sacrifice of Rani of Jhansi, Lakshmi Bai many years before that.
“The UP government has never lagged behind in honouring freedom fighters. We renamed the first Sainik School of the state after Kargil martyr Captain Manoj Pandey,” the CM said.
About unrest in the Kashmir Valley, he stressed on identifying local youths involved in violence and bringing them back into the mainstream of the society.
He also felicitated descendants of freedom fighters on the occasion.
Those present included Raghunath Pandey, descendent of Mangal Panday; Ashfaqullah Khan, grandson of Ashfaqullah Khan (they both share the same name); Sujeet Azad, nephew of Chandrashekhar Azad; Yadavendra Sandhu, grandnephew of Bhagat Singh, and Gopichand Pandey, father of Kargil martyr Captain Manoj Pandey.
Amit Azad, another nephew of Chandrashekhar Azad, and Yadavendra Sandhu, grand-nephew of Bhagat Singh, demanded martyr’s status for the freedom fighters who laid down their lives during the Independence struggle.
