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As Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath intensified his ‘batenge to katenge’ (if divided, we perish) campaign in Maharashtra and Jharkhand, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday launched a scathing attack on him, calling the slogan one of the most negative ones in history. Yadav claimed it echoed the British policy of ‘divide and rule.’
“There must not have been such a negative slogan in the history of the world. And where did they bring this slogan from? They brought it from the British, who once said, divide and rule,” Yadav said at a public event.
He added, “What is the meaning of divide? It is the same thing they are promoting with these slogans. They hold the same thoughts and words as the British, who divided this country”.
The phrase ‘batenge to katenge’ was first used by Yogi Adityanath in August when he called for Hindu unity in Bangladesh amid violence against Hindus. He repeated the slogan at a recent election rally in Maharashtra. Echoing this, Prime Minister Narendra Modi introduced another one, ‘ek hain toh safe hain’ (we are safe if united).
Opposition parties criticised these slogans, accusing the BJP of fearmongering and arguing there was no situation warranting such rhetoric.
“The people of the BJP are traders of fear and terror, filled with negativity. That is why they do not talk about development. They focus only on destruction,” said Yadav, the former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister.
However, Yogi Adityanath defended the slogan and reiterated it at another election rally in Jharkhand. He alleged that the opposition was the one dividing people along caste and religious lines.
“If we remain united, we will be safe. If we remain united, we will thriveâæ The time has come, under Prime Minister Modi’s vision, for India to establish itself as the world’s greatest power. But for that, we need one India. A united and stronger India. India will be better when it remains united,” Adityanath emphasised.
The BJP also issued a newspaper advertisement on Monday with the ‘ek hain to safe hain’ slogan.
The ‘batenge to katenge’ slogan also received sharp criticism from the Congress. Party chief Mallikarjun Kharge questioned the slogan, asking if there was any real threat necessitating such a message.
“The Prime Minister says ‘ek hain to safe hain,’ while other BJP leaders talk about ‘batenge to katenge’. Who is threatened? Is there any problem? In fact, the country faces threats from the RSS, BJP, Modi, and (Union Home Minister) Amit Shah,” Kharge said on Monday.
The slogan also faced opposition from the BJP’s Maharashtra ally, the NCP. The NCP chief and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar asserted that this slogan “will not work in Maharashtra,” emphasising that the focus should be on development.
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