Adityanath stokes controversy with Ali-Bajrang Bali remarks, calls Muslim League 'virus'

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath stoked controversy on Tuesday, dubbing the Muslim League a green virus and suggesting that Hindu and Muslim voters are in an Ali-Bajrang Bali contest.

Attacking Bahujan Samaj Party leader Mayawati for recently appealing to Muslims to vote for the opposition alliance in Uttar Pradesh, Adityanath said now the Hindus have no option but to vote for the BJP.

The BJP leader said Dalit-Muslim unity is impossible, and in Bareilly, he accused Mayawati of hurting Dalit sentiments with her call to Muslim voters at a rally in Saharanpur's Deoband.

"Agar Congress, SP, BSP ko Ali par vishwaas hai, toh humein bhi Bajrang Bali par vishwaas hai (If the Congress, the SP and the BSP have faith in Ali, then we too have faith in Bajrang Bali)," the BJP leader said at an election meeting in Meerut.

Ali is a revered figure in Islam and Lord Hanuman is often called Bajrang Bali.

Adityanath had used the Ali-Bajrang Bali formulation last year as well after Congress leader Kamal Nath allegedly said the support of 90 per cent of Muslim voters was needed for the Congress to win the Madhya Pradesh assembly polls.

Adityanath recently attacked the Indian Union Muslim League - a constituent of the Congress-led United Democratic Front in Kerala - for being the same organisation that had brought about Partition,