Exclusive: TMC against idol worshipping & behind Vidyasagar statue desecration, says Yogi Adityanath

The chief minister believed BJP will secure 74+ seats in Uttar Pradesh while the party’s nationwide figure would comfortably land over 300. He exuded confidence about NDA winning over 400 seats in total.

UP CM Yogi Adityanath speaking to ABP News.

New Delhi: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday said that Trinamool Congress workers desecrated Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar statue as they were opposed to “idol worship”. “It would be wrong to blame BJP workers behind bust vandalism as we believe in idol worshipping. Those against it are from TMC and they are responsible for the vandalism,” Adityanath told ABP News in an exclusive conversation. Adityanath accused the Mamata Banerjee government of shutting down schools of Vidyasagar. Commenting on numerous incidents of poll violence in West Bengal, he said, “Uttar Pradesh is the largest state in the country and there have been no reports of booth violence so far unlike in West Bengal where violence is reported from every other booth.” The chief minister believed BJP will secure 74+ seats in Uttar Pradesh while the party’s nationwide figure would comfortably land over 300. He exuded confidence about NDA winning over 400 seats in total. On Opposition parties claiming that the Modi wave is fading, the chief minister said, “those sitting in AC rooms aren’t aware of ground realities and lack the capacity for discernment.” Extolling virtues of PM Modi, Adityanath said, “people have accepted Narendra Modi as their prime minister. This is the most honest and efficient government. People have now realized there could be a government that functions without discrimination.” (WATCH FULL INTERVIEW BELOW) Lashing out at the SP-BSP alliance and not considering it as a ‘threat’, he said, “the recent violence in Ghazipur is a clear example of the rift between Akhilesh and Mayawati.” Adityanath said both parties will renew bickering once Lok Sabha results are announced on May 23. Calling it a “venomous alliance”, he asserted the gathbandhan will only create unrest, violence and law and order problems in the state of Uttar Pradesh. Training guns at Congress President Rahul Gandhi, the chief minister said “the Congress party itself doesn’t take Rahul seriously and that’s the reason Priyanka Gandhi was put forward. Not just his party, even non-NDA parties do not consider him a leader.”