Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday claimed that certain individuals are attempting to defame the kanwar yatra on social media and appealed to each 'kanwar sangh' to bring such perpetrators to light.
Referring to an incident here, Adityanath declared, "Troublemakers have stooped to defame this holy pilgrimage… We have CCTV footage of all of them. We are going to paste their posters after this (kanwar yatra) is over." He continued, "We have to keep in mind that where there is enthusiasm and excitement, where there is faith and devotion, some elements are always trying to disturb that enthusiasm and to defame this devotion and faith." Social media is abuzz with videos that show seeming kanwar yatris, attired in the saffron specific to them, blocking roads, looting hotels, smashing cars, and beating civilians.
Adityanath blamed them for being "miscreants" who become part of kanwar groups and bring bad names to them. "Unmask them, keep them away from you at all costs. Don't let them enter your circle. Inform the administration immediately," he said to them.
The chief minister added that there is administration to take legal action if any such "miscreant" defiles the kanwar, as he urged people not to take the law into their hands.
Adityanath asserted that before 2017, the year he became the chief minister, the UP governments never allowed these pilgrimages to happen and created obstacles in their path.
"But, nowadays, there are regimes that value your devotion. So it is our obligation to advance it with the same divine zeal," he said.
Also read: Glass pieces found on Kanwar Yatra route in Delhi, FIR lodged
He also called for kanwariyas to participate in cleanliness drives, and work towards ensuring that not a single river, crossing, or road gets polluted.
On Friday also, Adityanath had stated that attempts were being made to tarnish the image of kanwar pilgrims and they are being called "terrorists and rioters." Three kanwariyas were detained for beating up a CRPF jawan allegedly after a scuffle over train tickets at the Mirzapur railway station here, an official stated on Sunday.
The CRPF jawan was to board the Brahmaputra Express, but the kanwariyas too wanted to purchase tickets on the same train to Baidyanath Dham in Jharkhand.
A fight erupted between them as to who should buy the tickets.
Adityanath meanwhile showered flowers on the kanwariyas from a platform erected near Dulhera Chowki in Meerut's Modipuram region.
"Tomorrow from tomorrow, lakhs of Shiv devotees from different states of the country will bring water in the form of kanwar and conduct jalabhishek at different Shiv temples. On this occasion, I welcome with open arms all the Shiv devotees bringing holy Gangajal from Haridwar," he said.
Rajya Sabha member Laxmikant Bajpai and UP Minister of State Somendra Tomar were present on the dais.
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