Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has stirred fresh controversy with remarks made during a rally in Aligarh, where he claimed that purchasing foreign-made products could indirectly finance terrorism, religious conversion, ‘love jihad’, and Naxalism.
The comments have drawn a mixed reaction from the public, politicians, and policy analysts.
Speaking at the event under the state’s One District One Product (ODOP) initiative, the Chief Minister urged citizens to choose ‘swadeshi (indigenous) goods’, especially during the festive season.
“When you buy foreign products, the profits go abroad. Those profits are used to fund terrorism, love jihad, and conversion activities that destabilise the nation,” Yogi Adityanath said at the event.
He claimed that he is emphasising PM Narendra Modi’s ‘Vocal for Local’ campaign, linking economic self-reliance with national security.
Citing examples like Aligarh’s traditional lock-making industry, he said that prior to 2017, the market was flooded with Chinese goods, hurting Indian artisans. He credited ODOP with reviving regional manufacturing.
This story was originally published in maktoobmedia.com. Read the full story here.