Mathura (UP), Sep 4 : Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday warned that anti-national and anti-social forces attempting to create hatred in society or harm India's unity would face consequences, invoking Lord Krishna's message on the protection of the righteous and destruction of evil.
He also stressed that his government which has faith in Lord Krishna, Lord Ram, Lord Shiva and Maa Vindhyavasini can respect people's faith and not "those who follow Babur and Aurangzeb" in a veiled attack on Opposition parties.
Addressing a gathering here on the second day of his visit ahead of Janmashtami, Adityanath said the teachings and message of Lord Krishna remained equally relevant today.
"Wherever the forces of goodness exist, they will be protected under all circumstances. But wherever anti-national and anti-social forces raise their heads, create hatred in society or attempt to harm India's unity, integrity and faith, Lord Krishna had already said 5,000 years ago what their fate would be," he said.
The CM referred to the Bhagavad Gita's teaching, "Paritranaya sadhunam, vinashaya cha dushkritam" (for the protection of the righteous and destruction of evil), saying it continued to guide society.
Adityanath said Lord Krishna appeared at the site 5,200 years ago to establish "dharma, truth and justice" in Aryavarta.
He said the Braj region had preserved its religious heritage and the memories of Lord Krishna despite repeated invasions and attempts by different groups to impose their faith on India.
"Many invasions took place and many people tried to impose their faith on India, but no one could erase the Sanatan faith," he said.
"Those who dared to erase Sanatan faith themselves disappeared into the dust, but the memories of Shri Krishna and Radha Rani, not only in Braj but across India, continue to inspire us today and provide an encouraging environment for future generations," he said.
Adityanath welcomed devotees, who had arrived in Mathura on Thursday ahead of Janmashtami, and extended greetings to the people of the state on the festival marking the birth of Lord Krishna.
Adityanath said faith gives society a sense of movement towards "upliftment and progress", while negativity leads to obstruction and ultimately the downfall of forces that may appear powerful for a time.
"However powerful or influential a negative force may try to appear temporarily, its fate will be like that of Kansa, and no power can prevent its downfall," he said.
He said "this faith" had remained a source of strength for the Sanatan tradition for thousands of years and praised the Narendra Modi government for bringing together India's heritage and development.
He said the large number of devotees participating in Janmashtami celebrations in Mathura-Vrindavan was possible because the country was independent and people had confidence in its security and development.
"The youth are confident about their lives and future, every daughter and sister is confident about her safety, and every artisan and handicraft entrepreneur has confidence that they can progress," he said.
Taking another swipe at his political opponents, Adityanath said the BJP government had faith in Lord Krishna, Lord Ram, Baba Vishwanath and Maa Vindhyavasini.
"But those whose faith is in Babar and Aurangzeb, can they respect your faith?" he asked and accused "such forces of trying to spread "poison" in society and said "anti-social and anti-national elements could be emboldened if such politics was allowed to continue," he said.
"They can endanger your security, play with the future of the youth, compromise the safety of women and daughters, undermine the prosperity of farmers and make entrepreneurs, artisans and craftsmen helpless again," he said.
Adityanath asserted that the "double-engine government" would foil such designs and not allow them to succeed.
He also contrasted his government's approach with that of previous governments, alleging that earlier regimes avoided visiting Mathura because of "vote-bank concerns".
"Earlier governments were afraid of coming here because they were concerned about the vote bank. They feared that if they came here, people might ask questions," he said.
He referred to the 2016 Jawahar Bagh violence in Mathura while slamming the previous administration.
Adityanath cited the redevelopment of the Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi and the transformation of Ayodhya as examples of the government's efforts to restore and develop places of religious importance.
The CM said the Braj Teerth Vikas Parishad, in coordination with elected representatives, was working on developing Mathura-Vrindavan while preserving the region's historical heritage.
"Our effort is to create the same kind of environment in Mathura-Vrindavan as has been created in Ayodhya and Kashi, so that devotees face no difficulty and can have darshan of their deity without any obstacle," he said.
He said facilities were also being planned for devotees visiting the Krishna Janmabhoomi, Banke Bihari temple in Vrindavan, Barsana, Nandgaon and Govardhan.
"The double-engine government is continuously working for this," Adityanath said.
He also said festivals were not merely occasions of religious faith but contributed to the economy by bringing different sections of society into the economic activity associated with them.
Referring to the Bhagavad Gita, he said Lord Krishna's message to Arjuna was to perform one's duty without being attached to the outcome.
