Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath (Express Photo: Vishal Srivastav) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath (Express Photo: Vishal Srivastav)

Describing the implementation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam as an “important and brave decision”, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that his government is not averse to carrying out such an exercise in his state — if need be, in phases.

Speaking to The Indian Express in an interview, the Chief Minister also said that his government will “respect” the verdict in the Ayodhya case that is being heard in the Supreme Court.

Listing a series of achievements since his government took charge more than two years ago, the Chief Minister pointed to qualitative changes in health and education, including a revamped syllabus in schools and tackling the menace of proxy teachers. He said that his government has acted with transparency to tackle unemployment and attract private investment. Read in Malayalam

Responding to a question on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remarks on Independence Day about tackling the issue of “population explosion”, Adityanath again indicated a phased approach and said that there needs to be a “barrier after a limit”.

On the NRC, the Chief Minister said its implementation in Assam could be “an example” for UP.

Adityanath said his government will “respect” the verdict in the Ayodhya case that is being heard in the Supreme Court. (Express Photo: Vishal Srivastav) Adityanath said his government will “respect” the verdict in the Ayodhya case that is being heard in the Supreme Court. (Express Photo: Vishal Srivastav)

“This is an important and a brave decision of implementing the court’s order. I believe that we should congratulate the Prime Minister and the Home Minister for this. These things are being implemented phase-wise and I feel that when Uttar Pradesh will need an NRC, we will do so. In the first phase, it has been Assam and the way it is being implemented there, it can be an example for us. Using their experience, we can start it here phase-wise. It is important for national security and it will also put a stop on the rights of poor being taken away by illegal immigration,” he said.

Asked about the Ayodhya case, Adityanath said “everyone has faith in the court”. “We will respect whatever is the verdict of the court. We are going to respect the verdict, you don’t need to worry,” he said.

The UP government, he said, also “totally” agrees with the Prime Minister on the issue of population growth. “Somewhere, we have to put a barrier after a limit. In what form it will be, there are proper discussions on the government level and we will apply it phase wise. We already have been working on this,” he said.

Asked about the Ayodhya case, Adityanath said “everyone has faith in the court”. (Express Photo: Vishal Srivastav) Asked about the Ayodhya case, Adityanath said “everyone has faith in the court”. (Express Photo: Vishal Srivastav)

The UP Chief Minister’s remarks hold significance in the wake of the Supreme Court taking a dim view of recent remarks by a UP Minister that “jagah bhi hamari, mandir bhi hamara, court bhi hamara (the place, temple and court is ours)”. Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi had condemned the remarks and said that “such behaviour is to be deprecated”.

Incidentally, UP has a total fertility rate (3.0) that is not only higher than the national average but also second highest after Bihar.

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