UP CM Yogi Adityanath Hits Back At Ex-VP Hamid Ansari Over Hindu Right-Wing Remarks, Says Comments Tarnish India’s Image
· Free Press Journal

Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday criticised former vice-president Hamid Ansari over his remarks on Hindu right-wing communalism and accused him of attempting to tarnish India's image.
Addressing the ‘Prerna Vimarsh-2026’ programme at Gautam Buddha University in Greater Noida, Yogi said Ansari's remarks were “unfortunate” and claimed they were disrespectful towards India's Sanatan tradition and Hindu culture.
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Yogi said a person who had held a high constitutional office was expected to conduct himself in a manner befitting the dignity of the position. “His personal views may be different. But when it comes to India, one should, while respecting the Constitution, make the greatest possible contribution to the country's unity and integrity,” he said.
On Cam: 3-Year-Old Boy Killed After Speeding SUV Runs Him Over In Hyderabad#WATCH | Greater Noida | On Hamid Ansari's remarks, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath says, "Yesterday I was watching a statement made by a dignitary holding an important constitutional position in India, and it is the nature of some people to fail to maintain the dignity of their… pic.twitter.com/ZY8ZdOIKvM
— ANI (@ANI) September 20, 2026
Yogi also accused Ansari of linking India's Hindu tradition with terrorism and said such statements could damage the country's image.
Without naming Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Yogi criticised what he described as his conduct at an event on Saturday and said it amounted to an insult to women.
He said Indian culture teaches people to give priority to elderly persons, women, persons with disabilities and those older than them. “If there is an elderly person, a woman, a person with a disability or someone older than us, we ask them to go first or offer them a seat when one is available. This is our culture and this is how we conduct ourselves,” Yogi said.
He said people who had not learnt such values and who, according to him, considered insulting India and “Indianness” their sole objective could not be expected to understand the concept of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam”.
1,200 Km From Home, Lost Punjab Pilgrim Reunited With Family After ChatGPT Search#WATCH | Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh: On former Vice President Hamid Ansari’s remarks, AIMIM Chief Asaduddin Owaisi says, "He comes from a very prominent family that played a significant role in the country's independence. And Mr Hamid Ansari served the country well in the Indian… pic.twitter.com/ZFNeh4atfe
— ANI (@ANI) September 20, 2026
What Hamid Ansari said
Ansari, speaking at the third A G Noorani Memorial Lecture in New Delhi on Saturday, referred to a statement attributed to former prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru and said India faced a greater threat from Hindu right-wing communalism than from communism.
He was referring to A G Noorani's 2019 book, The RSS: A Menace to India, and spoke about what he described as a shift from civic nationalism towards cultural nationalism.
Ansari said Noorani's book was among his last major works and was significant in terms of both its size and content.
Referring to a document by former foreign secretary Jagat Singh Gundevia, Ansari said it recorded a statement by Nehru during a meeting of officials of the Ministry of External Affairs. “India's real danger was not from communism but from Hindu right-wing communalism,” Ansari quoted Nehru as saying.
Mayawati Rules Out Akash Anand's Return To BSP, Chooses Ishan For Party RoleDelhi: On former Vice President Hamid Ansari's statement, All India Imam Organisation Chief Imam Umar Ahmed Ilyasi says, "I strongly condemn the statement made by Hamid Ansari regarding Muslims. Hamid Ansari now wants to engage in politics in the name of Muslims, but when he held… pic.twitter.com/SrXT6k75cN
— IANS (@ians_india) September 20, 2026
Ansari also expressed concern over what he described as recent trends that challenge the established principle of civic nationalism and seek to replace it with a form of cultural nationalism.
He said such trends sought to distinguish citizens on the basis of faith, promoted intolerance and created a sense of insecurity. He argued that some of their recent manifestations raised questions about India's claim to function under the rule of law.
Ansari said these trends needed to be opposed through both legal and political means.