Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has taken a break from his administrative role and dawned the role of the head priest of the Gorakhnath Temple, for the past five days.
Since Tuesday, Yogi has been stationed in Gorakhpur, his long-time hometown and Lok Sabha constituency busy conducting special pujas during Navaratri.
On Wednesday evening, Yogi performed Ma Kalratri puja along with a havan, while on Thursday he performed Maha Gauri Pujan, and on Friday, Adityanath performed a puja from 3 am to 7 am at the Durga temple near his room on the temple’s premises, as reported by India Times.
In his capacity of a Mahant (head priest), he lead a “shobha yatra” from the monastery to the local Ramlila Ground, following decades-old tradition. Yogi also did rajtilak of Rama.
Even after becoming a CM of the state, Yogi is performing all rituals connected to the 10-day festivities, including puja and havan, in the temple. Along with his priestly duties, Yogi is reportedly also giving directions to his ministers and administration through his secretary Ajay Singh, who is alongside him in Gorakhpur.
Yogi has been performing special prayers at his “pooja sthal (place for puja)” in his residential area in the temple.
Although according to the government officials, the priest-turned-politician still manages to discharge his administrative duties and has been interacting with top officials consistently.
While in a debate on Times Now, lawyer Shehzad Poonawalla criticized Adityanath for visiting only Gorakhpur 8 times since becoming a CM, however, he never visited western or other parts of UP.
Yogi Adityanath has gone to Gorakhpur 8 times. But, he has not gone to West UP, and other parts of UP: @Shehzad_Ind #MahantMukhyaMantri
— TIMES NOW (@TimesNow) October 1, 2017
Poonawalla also questioned whether it was not the responsibility of the CM to meet the distressed farmers or the students of BHU as well :
Has Yogi met the farmers? Has he met the BHU students? Isn’t that his responsibility? Asks @Shehzad_Ind #MahantMukhyaMantri
— TIMES NOW (@TimesNow) October 1, 2017
National spokesperson of Samajwadi Party, Ghanshyam Tiwari too took potshots on Yogi, calling him part time CM for past 6 months:
In the last 6 months, cases have shot up because Yogi was a part-time CM: @GhanshyamTiwa, SP #MahantMukhyaMantri
— TIMES NOW (@TimesNow) October 1, 2017
Editor of Nai Duniya, Shahid Siddiqui said that if CM was able to control law and order and provide security to women, no one would mind his break:
If you are able to control law & order, provide security to women, then nobody minds your holiday: @shahid_siddiqui #MahantMukhyaMantri
— TIMES NOW (@TimesNow) October 1, 2017
However, BJP IT Cell Head, Amit Malviya defended Yogi, stating that he was being targeted because of his ‘faith’
Yogi Adityanath is being targeted because of his faith: @malviyamit, BJP #MahantMukhyaMantri
— TIMES NOW (@TimesNow) October 1, 2017
