Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) state spokesman Surendra Nath Trivedi criticised UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s statement on Lord Bajrang Bali.   

In a statement issued on Thursday, Trivedi said Yogi belonged to the famous Nath sect and he is the mahant of a historical mutt besides being the Chief Minister of UP. “A statement by Yogi that Lord Bajrang Bali was a Dalit is not only surprising for people of his ilk but it is also ridiculous in view of person of his stature. Every human being has faith in God and the faith has nothing to do with caste or religion,” Trivedi said.

The spokesman added the BJP grabbed power after dividing the society in terms of caste and religion. “As part of the preparations for the 2019 Lok Sabha election, the BJP is busy holding caste meetings and this indicated that the BJP has lost faith in Lord Ram and that is why it has chosen to rake up caste issues,” he said.

The RLD leader said the BJP’s star leaders were not speaking about development, employment and other promises that they made when were contesting the 2014 elections. “The reason is obvious. They failed on every front and their promises turned hollow in the due course of time. Now they have no issue to speak before the public. So the BJP leaders are speaking about the caste and religion to divert public attention from their party’s misgovernance,’ he said.  

Trivedi pointed out that the High Court had ordered a stay on political parties from organising meetings in the name of castes. “But the BJP appears to be least bothered about the High Court order and the Constitution of the country,” he commented. The RLD leader said Yogi was trying to divide the God on the basis of caste by his statement. “Lord Bajrang Bali is 11th Rudravatar of Lord Shanker and terming him Dalit is an insult to hundreds of devotees of Lord Hanuman,” he said.