Mohammad Yasin and Zakir Warsi, work as staff at Gorakshnath Temple

GORAKHPUR: Every day, dressed neatly in a light check shirt and trousers, Zakir Warsi fastidiously looks after the progress of the upcoming medical college managed by the Gorakshnath Chikitsalya Trust, whose head priest is UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath .

He has been with Yogi since 2004. Likewise, his friend Mohammad Yasin is overseeing the construction of the new building block for trust inside the temple complex, just behind the gaushala. The two swear by loyalty to Yogi and also insist they pray for his and his party's success in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. "Jis tarah se public ne opinion banaya hai, humari 70-72 seats phir se aayengi. His work speaks for itself. The declining crime graph in Gorakhpur , the roads, round-the-clock electricity, cleanliness and tourist-friendly police have been the hallmark," says 52-year-old Warsi.

With Ram Charit Manas's Ayodhya kand running in the background, the duo insist they have never felt discrimination for their community, that starts with treatment of patients from all communities visiting the hospital which offers ayurvedic services. They also cite a long list of beneficiaries in the neighbouring colonies like Rasoolpur where several hundred Muslims and Hindus have been given Rs 2.5 lakh under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana.

"I visit the temple almost everyday. Chahe main mandir mai jaaon, ya unke kamre mein jaaon, koi rok tok nahi. This is where people need to understand PM Narendra Modi and Yogiji. We endorse steps like the government's stand on triple talaq to help the women of our fraternity. We cannot allow atrocities on them," says Yasin, who has been at the temple since 1977. They concur that Bhojpuri actor Ravi Kishan has huge boots to fill in but supporters like them are only working to ensure success of "Maharajji" as they fondly refer to Yogi as.

"It doesn't matter to us which candidate is contesting. For us and his supporters, the victory and campaign is for Maharajji alone," says Warsi.



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