Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's remarks on 'land jihad' and 'dharmshala', made at a religious event on Tuesday, triggered a sharp political row, with Hindu seers rallying behind the CM while Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav sharply criticised the statements, asserting that Sanatan Dharma stands for brotherhood, not division.

What Adityanath Said

Addressing the Shri Ram Katha Mahotsav, Adityanath drew a parallel between mythological figures and what he described as contemporary land encroachment. '...After all, what were Khar-Dushan doing, what were Maricha and Subahu doing, they too were involved in land jihad. Forcibly occupying. Forcibly spotting any empty land and pitching their own tent on it. All of this must stop,' he said.

The Chief Minister also declared that India could not serve as a 'dharmshala' — a free shelter — for those who, in his words, lack loyalty toward the country or respect for its traditions. The remarks drew immediate attention given their delivery at a religious gathering, amplifying their political resonance.

Religious Leaders Defend the CM

Mahant Sitaram Das Maharaj of Ayodhya's Saket Bhavan temple backed Adityanath's position. 'It is true, India is not a dharmshala,' he said, adding that those who do not value India's culture and traditions have no right to reside in the country and that 'the politics of appeasement will not be tolerated.'

Swami Jitendranand Saraswati, National General Secretary of Akhil Bharatiya Sant Samiti, also endorsed the CM's remarks, drawing a parallel between the challenges faced during Lord Ram's era and present-day circumstances.

Uttar Pradesh minister Sanjay Nishad echoed the sentiment, stating that while every Indian citizen has the right to reside in the country, people arriving from outside cannot do so permanently. He praised Adityanath's efforts to preserve 'India's culture, traditions, and social values.'

Akhilesh Yadav's Pushback

SP chief Akhilesh Yadav dismissed the remarks as inappropriate, particularly given their setting at a religious event. 'He does not seem to have any affection for love, but rather for land. If you check in Gorakhpur, you will find in whose names the maximum registrations have taken place. He should not be making such statements, especially in religious programmes,' Yadav said.

Yadav invoked the principles of Sanatan Dharma to counter the CM's framing. 'It promotes brotherhood among people. Friendship is the biggest thing in Sanatan, that is why I said we need to become Bandhu Rashtra (friendly state),' he told reporters. He further alleged that the head of the Uttar Pradesh government 'does not adopt the path of truth.'

Political Context

The episode is the latest in a series of ideologically charged statements from the Adityanath administration ahead of assembly cycles in Uttar Pradesh. The invocation of mythological references to frame contemporary land and demographic concerns has become a recurring rhetorical device in Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) political communication. Critics argue such language sharpens communal polarisation, while supporters contend it reflects legitimate cultural and sovereignty concerns. With the SP positioning itself as a defender of pluralist Sanatan values, the exchange signals how both sides intend to contest the religious narrative space going forward.