Yogi Adityanath not a divisive person, says RSS

The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) on Tuesday dismissed the reports terming Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath as a divisive personality.

After the curtains came down on the three-day national general council meeting of the RSS here, the organisation Joint General Secretary Dattatreya Hosabale said Yogi has been elected again and again by the people and how could one call such a person 'divisive'.

"All these allegations do not stand considering his social, cultural, spiritual and service background. I don't agree with them. If he was a divisive person, there would have been tension in the state in the first 24 hours itself," he told reporters.

Hosabale said the decision to make Adityanath as CM was taken by the BJP. "Yogi has been a party person for many years and has been elected MP repeatedly. There is no hidden hand of RSS in it, though our good wishes are there for him," he said.

Pointing out that RSS Sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat has given a call to ensure that there is no caste discrimination at temples, water tanks/bodies and cremation grounds, he said untouchability is still a blot on the Hindu society and steps are being taken to end it. When asked whether removing the restriction on these three counts alone will suffice to end untouchability, he said it's a humble beginning towards ending a 1,000-year-old practice.

He said the meet also discussed issues such as the rural development, protection of cow and erosion of family values.