Exclusive interview | This election not about Muslims or Yadavs or Hindus, says Amit Shah on Yogi Adityanath's 80-20 remark

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has said in an exclusive interview to Rahul Joshi, Group Editor-in-Chief, Network18, that the ongoing Uttar Pradesh elections 2022 are not about Muslims, Yadavs or Hindus and that Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath may have been referring to voting percentages in his “80-20” statement.

"I don’t think this election is about Muslims or Yadavs or Hindus. Yogi ji may have spoken about vote percentages but not about Muslims vs Hindus," Shah said.

Asked if the UP elections were being polarised, Amit Shah replied in the affirmative, but said it is the poor and famers who are being polarised.

"Yes, polarisation is happening. The poor and farmers are being polarised. Many farmers are getting money from the Kisan Kalyan Nidhi Yojana. I can see ‘polarisation’ clearly."

In the interview, the senior BJP leader also emphasised that “voting pattern can’t be termed polarisation".

"We have left no stone unturned. We have extended benefits to every section of the society, irrespective of caste and religion. Whoever was eligible has received benefits. Under the PM’s initiative, we have given gas to 1.66 crore women in UP. Around 2.62 lakh families did not have proper toilets. Can you imagine that? Today, women don’t have to defecate in the open and they are happy. Around 40 lakh women have benefitted from the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana,” Shah said.

The Union Home Minister said people in UP had also benefitted from electrification projects and ration schemes. “In 1.41 crore houses, there was no bulb or electricity for the last 70 years. Electricity has now reached every single village in UP thanks to the Prime Minister. Around 2.68 crore LED bulbs were distributed. Around 15 crore people in UP are getting free rations under the Gareeb Kalyan Anna Yojana. To this, Yogi ji added dal, edible oil and salt for the poor. Under this government, 42 lakh people have got homes.”

In an exclusive interview with Network18 Group Editor-in-Chief Rahul Joshi earlier this month, Yogi Adityanath, too, had explained his "80-20" remark. He said the 80 referred to people who wanted a safe and corruption-free Uttar Pradesh and had a positive attitude towards the state’s development, while the 20 were those who preferred lawlessness to carry on with “their illegal activities”.

"The 80 percent are those who want to move forward with positive energy. They have seen the improved law and order situation in Uttar Pradesh and want to keep it that way. They have seen and want to continue social sector programmes for the poor, improved electricity distribution, better transport facilities, optical fibres reaching villages, people’s lives becoming better. All of them are part of the 80% and support the BJP," Adityanath had said.