Days after an uprising in Bangladesh forced Sheikh Hasina to resign as the Prime Minister and escape from her country in early August, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath coined a slogan – “Batenge to katenge (divided we fall)” – amid reports of attacks on Hindus in the neighbouring country.

“Nothing is greater than the nation. Our strength lies in our unity. If we allow ourselves to be divided, we will fall. The situation in Bangladesh serves as a warning — those mistakes must not be repeated here. We must stay united, uphold our noble values, ensure our safety and strive for the pinnacle of prosperity,” Adityanath had then said while addressing a public meeting in Agra.

The CM had earlier slammed the Opposition in the country for its “silence” over attacks on the minority Hindu community in Bangladesh. “While the Opposition is quick to speak out on global issues, it has remained silent about the persecution of Hindus and the demolition of temples in Bangladesh. They see Palestine but turn a blind eye to Bangladesh because of their fear of losing their vote bank,” Adityanath said in Mathura.

In September, as a response to some incidents in UP involving food adulteration, including alleged spitting or mixing of urine in eatables, the CM issued a series of directions, including a mandatory display of name and address of operators, proprietors and managers at eateries across the state.

Later, a meeting chaired by Adityanath discussed the provisions of his government’s proposal for two ordinances in this regard, including the “Prevention of Pseudo and Anti-Harmony Activities and Prohibition of Spitting Ordinance 2024” and “Uttar Pradesh Prevention of Contamination in Food (Consumer Right to know) Ordinance 2024″.

This meeting decided that the new provisions would also allow strict action in case an employee of a food establishment is confirmed to be an “illegal foreign citizen”. “It has been decided to make provisions of imprisonment and fine against those who violate the law and that action should be taken under the proposed law by considering such crime as cognisable and non-bailable,” an official told The Indian Express at the time.

The CM also directed that the new provisions should ensure that no anti-social element is able to “hide identity” and contaminate food items and beverages with human waste or any other inedible thing. Other proposed provisions included making it mandatory for every food establishment to install CCTV cameras to monitor the kitchen and dining area, and preserve the footage for at least a month. It was also decided that eatery workers must wear head covers, masks and gloves while cooking and serving.

Earlier, on July 19, the UP police had issued orders that all restaurants, roadside dhabas and food carts on the route of the Kanwar Yatra in the state display the names of the owners outside their shops or carts. This was done on the ground that it was necessary to maintain the “purity” and “sanctity” of the Kanwar pilgrims. UP minister Kapil Dev Agarwal had even alleged that Muslim vendors were posing as Hindus and selling non-vegetarian food to them.

The UP dispensation’s order drew fire from the Opposition, with Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav terming it a “social crime” and Congress leader Pawan Khera calling it “state-sponsored bigotry”. AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi called it “discriminatory”, comparing it with South Africa’s apartheid regime and the boycott of Jewish businesses in Nazi Germany.

Even the BJP’s NDA allies expressed concern over the order. LJP (Ram Vilas) chief Chirag Paswan said he did not agree with “divides” in the name of caste or religion. The Jayant Chaudhary-led RLD said it would take up the matter with both the central and state governments. JD(U) leader KC Tyagi cautioned that no message should be sent out that could create a communal discord.

The Supreme Court soon stepped in to stay UP’s order, which defused the row.

In the recent Lok Sabha polls, the ruling BJP failed to secure a majority of its own, stalling at 240 seats, which was attributed to, among other factors, the blow the party got in UP, where its tally plunged to 33 out of 80 seats from its 2019 figure of 62. Soon afterwards, senior UP BJP leader and Deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya made various moves which were seen to be tacitly critical of the CM.

On July 17, Maurya had posted a cryptic message on X, saying that the “organisation is bigger than the government” and that he felt the “pain of party workers”. This was read in the state political circles as a veiled criticism of the CM for purportedly running the state through bureaucracy where the party workers were not being heard.

In the wake of the Lok Sabha poll results, Adityanath appears to have increasingly hardened his Hindutva stance. Some observers have said this “shift” has come after months of UP being pitched as a global investment destination and talks of new airports and expressways in the state.

The CM’s “Batenge to katenge” slogan has gained currency and has been endorsed by the RSS too.

On October 27, after the RSS’ two-day meet held at Mathura, its general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale said in reply to a direct question on Adityanath ‘s slogan, “Hindu samaj ekta mein nahin rahega to aaj kal ki bhasha mein batenge to katenge ho sakta hai (if Hindu society does not stay united, we could fall).” He said the slogan was “in the right spirit” as it aimed at uniting Hindus who, he added, were being divided on the lines of caste as part of a “conspiracy”.

In the run-up to the November 20 Maharashtra Assembly elections, posters featuring Adityanath and the slogan have come up in several parts of Mumbai.

Mumbai BJP chief Ashish Shelar said the party had not officially put up the posters, but added that a sizeable section of society feels that it would suffer if there is a division of votes.

Earlier this month, Akhilesh said the UP CM’s “negative slogan” was a sign of the BJP’s “disappointment and failure”, as their voters, he claimed, were “leaving” them.