By Siddhant Mohan, TwoCircles.net
A day after the UP government scrapped holiday like Eid and Muharram from the madrasa school system, residents of the state woke up on Friday morning to see that the walls of the UP State Hajj committee had been painted saffron.
Ever since Yogi Adityanath-led BJP government came to power, it has been using saffron colour at many places. Government offices in Lucknow were also painted in saffron. In fact, just a few months ago the UP government was thinking of issuing an order to ensure that saffron coloured sheets and clothes in all government hospitals of the state.
State cabinet minister Mohsin Raza defended the government’s action of painting Haj house saffron. Raza told the media, “There is no need for controversy in such things, saffron is an energetic and bright looking colour, the building looks beautiful.”
“Opposition has no big issues against us so they raise inconsequential things,” Raza added.
Uttar Pradesh has a long history of using party colours over public schemes and places. But this may be the first time when a government has been using the colours on places of religious importance as well.
When we contacted several members of state Haj Committee, we noticed that most of the committee members were not aware of the decision and that this step was taken without any consensus or consultation.
Mohd Azam Khan, ex-state minister, SP leader and chairman of the state Haj Committee told TwoCircles.net, “We all know the source of the decision. And the source is not the one who is talking.”
“Painting a place with saffron colour clearly implies the thinking and mentality of the government. And it is easy to figure out where the country is going,” said Khan.
Azam Khan admitted that he was not consulted for any such decision. He said, “The government should have looked towards increasing the number of Hajis, which has hit the lowest this year.”
According to the recently disclosed number, the Haji count went down 16 percent compared to the number in the year 2016.
“SP government never painted Haj house green. I never put any religious things inside my car or office. I consider myself secular,” said Azam Khan. “But BJP ministers have their own version of ‘secularism’ where they want to put Saffron colours everywhere.”
“They cannot take our religious beliefs just by painting a wall with their colours,” added Khan.