Yogi Adityanath is an Indian Priest and a Hindu Nationalist Politician. He was born on 5th June, 1972 in Pauri, Garhwal to Anand Singh Bisht who was a Forest Ranger. His birth name is Ajay Mohan Bisht. Currently serving as the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, he has also been a member of the Parliament from the Gorakhpur Constituency. Adityanath is also the head Mahant of the Gorakhnath Math, a position he held since the death of his spiritual “father”, Mahant Avaidyanath.

Education of Yogi Adityanath and his Relation with the Gorakhnath Math

He completed his graduation from Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal University in Uttarakhand. In the 1990s he left home to join the Ayodhya Ram Temple Movement. He came under the infulence of Mahant Avaidyanath and became his disciple. Subsequently, he was given the name Yogi Adityanath and became the successor to Gorakhnath Math. He was made the Peethadhishwar of the Math on 14th September, 2014 after the death of his guru.

Politics and Yogi Adityanath

Yogi Adityanath was the youngest member of the 12th Lok sabha at 26. He has been elected to the Parliament from Gorakhpur. His attendance in Lok Sabha was 77%, participated in 56 debates and asked 284 questions in all. He also introduced 3 private member Bills in the 16th Lok Sabha.
He is also a founder of Hindu Yuva Vahini, an extremist and militant youth organisation that has been involved in communal violence.

 As the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh

He was a prominent campaigner for the BJP in the 2017 assembly elections in the state of Uttar Pradesh and was appointed as the CM of the state on Saturday, 18th March 2017. The illegal slaughter houses faced shutdowns and an anti romeo squads were formed to avoid eveteasing. These squads have found popularity among the women. He imposed a ban on tobacco, pan and Gutka in Government offices across the state and made the officials pledge 100 hours every year for the Swachh Bharat Mission. He also imposed a blanket ban on cow smuggling and more than 100 policemen were suspended by the UP police.

Controversies in which Yogi Adityanath have been involved

In 2005, Adityanath has been involved in the ‘Purification Drive‘ that involved conversion of about 1800 Christians to Hinduism in the town of Etah in Uttar Pradesh.

In 2007, an alteracation occured between Hindus and Muslims during a Muharram procession in Gorakhpur which led to the hospitalisation of a yound hindu, Raj Kumar Agrahari. The District Magistrate said that Adityanath must not visit the site as this would escalate the tensions. But after the death of Agrahari Adityanath went to the site and started a non violent dharna. Inflammatory speeches were made and some followers set fire to the nearby Mosque. Yogi Adityanath was arrested for not obeying the orders of the magistrate. However the magistrate had to be removed and replaced and the followers of the Hindu Yuva Vahini set fire to houses, buses and trains. An emergency was declared. After his release, he protested his arrest in the Parliament.

In 2011, the documentary film Saffron War- Radicalization of Hinduism accused Adityanath of promoting communal disharmony in UP through hate speeches. He has seen on the stage instigating the audience to dig up the grave of Muslin Women and rape the corpses. Recording of this event went viral on social media in March, 2015.

In 2014, political activist and lawyer Shehzaad Poonawaala wrote to the National Commission for Minorities requesting them  to file an FIR against Yogi Adityanath.