Yogi sleeps just four hours, was a most active MP in Lok Sabha

NEW DELHI: Six priests from Gorakhnath temple did a six-hour long rudraksh pooja on Lucknow's 5, Kalidas Marg on Monday to "purify" the residence for the muth head and new Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who is said to sleep just four hours a day and pray and meditate multiple times.

"Being religious is not exactly an undesirable thing, is it? Everyone has a pooja before entering a new home," said a close aide of Adityanath while talking to ET on condition of anonymity. "Even (former chief minister) Akhilesh Yadav had an elaborate pooja when he entered his new house recently. But Maharaj ji will be the one to be targeted."

With the anointment of the five-term Lok Sabha member from Gorakhpur as CM, Parliament has lost one of its more active and vocal members. As per data from Parliament Legislative Research (PRS), Adityanath has asked 284 questions in this Lok Sabha, way above the average of 180, and participated in more debates (56) than most others, even as his attendance, at 77 per cent, stood below the average.

In a debate on Uniform Civil Code in November last year, Adityanath said the census population numbers of 2011 were "shocking" as they showed gross imbalance, with the growth rate of Hindus falling and that of Muslims increasing at a fast pace. "No sovereign country can remain silent over this dangerous imbalance, but India is quiet," he said, adding that any country's future is determined by its majority population.

"When the existence of majority population is under danger, it is dangerous not just for the country's unity and integrity but democracy is in peril," he said.

In other recent parliament debates, he raised issues such as the Samajwadi government in UP clamping a ban on loudspeakers being used by Hindu Kavadis (Shiv disciples) during their foot marches, alleged exodus of Hindus from Kairana, declaring Bhagavad Gita as a national book and why the state government was trying to acquire Banke Bihari Temple of Mathura and Mirzapur's Vindhyachal Shaktipeeth, and hurting religious sentiments by trying to interfere in their work.

His supporters said he also raised issues such as the problem of encephalitis in eastern UP and sought a solution to stop repeated floods in this region.

To those questioning the new CM's administrative experience, those close to him said he is the president of 17 institutions and secretary of 26 others. He likes playing badminton and swimming, according to his Lok Sabha profile, his favourite pastimes are gardening, religious discourses, reciting bhajans and touring religious spots.