Siddharthnagar (Uttar Pradesh), August 14: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday said that had Narendra Modi been the Prime Minister during the 1947 Partition, “no one would have been able to harm India.” He said the country must learn from the events surrounding Partition to prevent similar tragedies in the future.
Addressing an event in Siddharthnagar after inaugurating development projects and laying foundation stones for new works, Adityanath said millions of Hindus were killed during Partition and alleged that political interests and the pursuit of power contributed to the division of the country.
Referring to the territorial division, he claimed that several Hindu-majority areas were handed over to Pakistan during Partition. He also criticised political leaders whom he accused of remaining silent during violence and prioritising electoral interests.
Adityanath said India had the strength and ability to respond to threats at the time, but internal divisions based on caste, region and language weakened society. He said the consequences of Partition continue to be reflected in challenges such as terrorism and security threats.
Recalling the freedom struggle, the Chief Minister said leaders and people had fought for independence, but political interests later contributed to divisions among communities. He said the country must remain united and learn from the mistakes of the past.
He also referred to Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh as territories that were once part of undivided India and alleged that conspiracies had been made to create unrest in several parts of Uttar Pradesh. He said public resistance prevented such attempts from succeeding.