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Time of India
5 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Kanwar Yatra misuse won't be tolerated, says Yogi Adityanath
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, during his inspection of arrangements for the Kanwar Yatra along NH-58 on Sunday, issued a stern warning to miscreants attempting to infiltrate the pilgrimage by posing as kanwariyas . He said that such individuals would face stringent consequences, including being publicly identified through posters once the yatra concludes. He highlighted that some troublemakers were intentionally blending in with groups of kanwariyas and engaging in disruptive behavior with the aim of maligning the spiritual journey. 'Troublemakers have resorted to defame this holy pilgrimage. We have CCTV footage of such elements. We will paste their posters after the yatra is over. Any attempt to disrupt the yatra or compromise its sanctity will be dealt with strictly,' Yogi said. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Libas Purple Days Sale Libas Undo In a symbolic gesture of reverence, the CM showered flower petals on pilgrims in Meerut and from a helicopter across other districts of western UP. 'From tomorrow, lakhs of Shiv devotees from various states will carry water in the form of kanwar and perform jalabhishek in various Shiv temples. I heartily welcome all the devotees bringing holy Gangajal from Haridwar,' he said. Live Events Yogi also criticized segments of the media for negatively portraying the devotees. 'Some sections of the media were portraying kanwariyas as rioters, which was an insult to India's heritage,' he said. He pointed to the circulation of social media videos that depict individuals dressed in saffron involved in violence, including damaging vehicles, assaulting civilians, and vandalizing properties. He emphasized that such individuals were not actual devotees but anti-social elements attempting to tarnish the event. 'Where there is enthusiasm and excitement, faith and devotion, some people try to disturb celebrations and defame devotion and faith,' he said. Stressing the importance of community vigilance, he added: 'While most devotees uphold the sanctity of the yatra, some anti-social elements are conspiring to malign it. It is the responsibility of every kanwar sangh and every Shiv bhakt to expose such elements. Do not allow them to enter your circle. Immediately inform the administration if you spot such people.' The CM urged the devotees to refrain from retaliating in case of provocation and promised full support from the administration. 'No one should take the law into their own hands. The administration is there to act if any such miscreant desecrates the yatra,' he said. Drawing a contrast with past administrations, Yogi said that previous governments used to obstruct such religious events before 2017. 'It is our responsibility to take this tradition forward with the same sacred sentiment,' he added. He also encouraged participants to maintain cleanliness during the pilgrimage, urging them to join cleanliness drives and refrain from polluting roads and rivers. 'Shiv bhakts should walk with a spirit of public welfare and remain mindful of not causing inconvenience to others,' he said. The state government has reportedly set up necessary facilities for the comfort and safety of the pilgrims, including water stations, medical posts, lighting, and resting areas. [With TOI inputs]
India Today
12 hours ago
- Politics
- India Today
More goons than Shiv devotees in Kanwar Yatra: Samajwadi MLA amid assault cases
Amid several incidents of vandalism and harassment involving kanwariyas, a Samajwadi Party MLA said there were more goons than Shiva devotees in the Kanwar Yatra. Sambhal MLA Iqbal Mehmood urged the Uttar Pradesh government to take action against the miscreants and send them to to the incident in Meerut where kanwariyas vandalised a school bus, Mehmood asserted that the number of genuine Shiv devotees was low, while that of troublemakers is are more goons than Shiv devotees in the Kanwar Yatra. These individuals are indulging in vandalism and hooliganism, and their place is in jail," Mehmood said. He said their actions would have consequences in the afterlife. STRING OF VANDALISM INCIDENTSThe Samajwadi MLA's strong remarks come amid a string of vandalism and assault cases on Kanwar Yatra routes in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Incidents of targeting of roadside dhabas and stalls over disputes on nameplates have also been reported. Last week, kanwariyas vandalised a school bus in Meerut after the vehicle allegedly brushed past some of them. In videos that have gone viral, the enraged pilgrims are seen boarding the bus and beating the driver and smashing the another incident, kanwariyas were seen punching a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawan at Uttar Pradesh's Mirzapur railway station during an argument over train tickets. Seven kanwariyas were several complaints, Uttar Pradesh has banned kanwariyas from carrying sticks, tridents (trishuls), hockey sticks, and similar items during the yatra, which will end on July 23. The administration has also prohibited the use of motorbikes without silencers to curb noise pollution and public Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has come out strongly in support of the pilgrims, accusing sections of the media of unfairly labelling them as 'hooligans'."Kanwariyas are constantly put through media trials. They are labelled as hooligans and even terrorists. This mindset is an insult to India's rich cultural heritage," Adityanath said last week.- EndsMust Watch
Time of India
12 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Yogi warns: Posters of fake Kanwariyas to be pasted after yatra ends; CM says CCTV footage will expose troublemakers
Meerut: Miscreants posing as kanwariyas to incite violence and defame the ongoing pilgrimage will face strict action, including public naming through posters once the yatra concludes, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath said in Meerut on Sunday. After inspecting arrangements and interacting with pilgrims along NH-58, Yogi said the administration had obtained CCTV footage of such troublemakers and would hold them accountable. He said miscreants were deliberately infiltrating groups of kanwariyas and indulging in hooliganism to tarnish the image of the yatra. "Troublemakers have resorted to defame this holy pilgrimage. We have CCTV footage of such elements. We will paste their posters after the yatra is over. Any attempt to disrupt the yatra or compromise its sanctity will be dealt with strictly," he said. Demonstrating respect for the pilgrims' faith, Yogi showered flower petals on kanwariyas in Meerut and from a helicopter in other districts of western Uttar Pradesh. "From tomorrow, lakhs of Shiv devotees from various states will carry water in the form of kanwar and perform jalabhishek in various Shiv temples. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Extraspacious 3 and 4 BHKs from 6.76 Cr* in Mahalaxmi 7 Mahalaxmi, Runwal Group Book Now Undo I heartily welcome all the devotees bringing holy Gangajal from Haridwar," he said. Objecting to a "media trial" of devotees, Yogi said sections of the media were portraying kanwariyas as rioters, which was an "insult to India's heritage". He said social media was filled with videos showing individuals in saffron creating ruckus, ransacking hotels, damaging vehicles and assaulting civilians, and claimed these were not genuine devotees but anti-social elements wearing saffron to malign the pilgrimage. "Where there is enthusiasm and excitement, faith and devotion, some people try to disturb celebrations and defame devotion and faith," he said. "While most devotees uphold the sanctity of the yatra, some anti-social elements are conspiring to malign it. It is the responsibility of every kanwar sangh and every Shiv bhakt to expose such elements. Do not allow them to enter your circle. Immediately inform the administration if you spot such people. " Yogi urged pilgrims not to retaliate if provoked and assured that the administration was fully prepared to take legal action. "No one should take the law into their own hands. The administration is there to act if any such miscreant desecrates the yatra," he said. He said that unlike previous govts that "created obstacles for such pilgrimages before 2017", the current govt respected the faith of devotees. "It is our responsibility to take this tradition forward with the same sacred sentiment," he said. The CM appealed to pilgrims to avoid littering, join cleanliness campaigns and ensure that no river or road was left dirty. "Shiv bhakts should walk with a spirit of public welfare and remain mindful of not causing inconvenience to others," he said. The state, he added, had arranged for drinking water, first-aid stations, lighting, rest camps and other facilities. As a preventive step, UP police have enforced a blanket ban on kanwariyas carrying tridents, hockey sticks or similar objects and on riding motorcycles without silencers. The entire kanwar route is under high-tech surveillance, including over 11,000 CCTV cameras in the Meerut zone, drone-mounted systems and AI-powered crowd detection tools. Over 10,000 women police personnel have also been deployed for the first time to man helpdesks and Shakti booths, with special focus on women's safety during evening hours. Yogi concluded his visit with an aerial inspection of the Meerut–Muzaffarnagar road (NH-58) and Chaudhary Charan Singh kanwar marg. Rajya Sabha MP Laxmikant Bajpai and UP minister of state Somendra Tomar were also present at the occasion.
Time of India
21 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
'Those trying to defame kanwar yatra will face action': Yogi Adityanath
UP CM Yogi Adityanath MEERUT: Miscreants posing as kanwariyas to incite violence and defame the pilgrimage will face strict action, including public naming through posters once the yatra concludes, UP CM Yogi Adityanath said on Sunday. He inspected arrangements and interacted with pilgrims along NH-58. He said miscreants were deliberately infiltrating groups of kanwariyas and indulging in hooliganism to tarnish the image of the yatra. 'Troublemakers have resorted to defame this holy pilgrimage. We have CCTV footage of such elements. We will paste their posters after the yatra is over. Any attempt to disrupt the yatra or compromise its sanctity will be dealt with strictly,' he said. Demonstrating respect for the pilgrims' faith, Yogi showered flower petals on kanwariyas in Meerut and from a helicopter in other districts of western UP. 'From tomorrow, lakhs of Shiv devotees from various states will carry water in the form of kanwar and perform jalabhishek in various Shiv temples. I heartily welcome all the devotees bringing holy Gangajal from Haridwar,' he said. Objecting to a 'media trial' of devotees, Yogi said sections of the media were portraying kanwariyas as rioters, which was an 'insult to India's heritage'. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like American Investor Warren Buffett Recommends: 5 Books For Turning Your Life Around Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo He said social media was filled with videos showing individuals in saffron creating ruckus, ransacking hotels, damaging vehicles and assaulting civilians, and claimed these were not genuine devotees but anti-social elements wearing saffron to malign the pilgrimage. 'Where there is enthusiasm and excitement, faith and devotion, some people try to disturb celebrations and defame devotion and faith,' he said. 'While most devotees uphold the sanctity of the yatra, some anti-social elements are conspiring to malign it. It is the responsibility of every kanwar sangh and every Shiv bhakt to expose such elements. Do not allow them to enter your circle. Immediately inform the administration if you spot such people.' Yogi urged pilgrims not to retaliate if provoked and assured that the administration was fully prepared to take legal action. 'No one should take the law into their own hands. The administration is there to act if any such miscreant desecrates the yatra,' he said. He said that unlike previous govts that 'created obstacles for such pilgrimages before 2017', the current govt respected the faith of devotees. 'It is our responsibility to take this tradition forward with the same sacred sentiment,' he said. The CM appealed to pilgrims to avoid littering, join cleanliness campaigns and ensure that no river or road was left dirty. 'Shiv bhakts should walk with a spirit of public welfare and remain mindful of not causing inconvenience to others. ' The state, he added, had arranged for drinking water, first-aid stations, lighting, rest camps and other facilities.
Time of India
a day ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Those trying to defame Kanwar Yatra will be dealt with sternly: Yogi
Lucknow: Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday said that some people are trying to defame Kanwar Yatra and Shiv devotees and said that such troublemakers will be exposed and dealt with sternly. "Troublemakers have resorted to defame this holy pilgrimage (Kanwar Yatra). We have CCTV footage of troublemakers. We will paste their posters after the Kanwar Yatra) is over. Any attempt to disrupt the Yatra, or compromise its sanctity, will be dealt with strictly," Yogi said during an event in Meerut. Demonstrating respect for their faith and dedication, Yogi showered flowers on Kanwariyas on the streets of Meerut and also showered petals from a helicopter in other districts of western Uttar Pradesh . "From tomorrow (Monday), lakhs of Shiv devotees from various states of the country will carry water in the form of 'Kanwar' and perform 'jalabhishek' in various Shiv temples. I heartily welcome all the devotees who are bringing holy Gangajal from Haridwar," Yogi said. Claiming that some people were trying to defame Kanwar Yatra, he said: "Where there is enthusiasm and excitement, faith and devotion, some people try to disturb celebrations and defame devotion and faith. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 25 Weird Wedding Photos That Will Definitely Make You Laugh nieznany | Search Ads Undo Social media is replete with videos showing people wearing saffron, associated with 'Kanwariyas', creating ruckus on roads, ransacking hotels, damaging vehicles, and beating civilians." He claimed that miscreants were trying to infiltrate groups of Kanwariyas and bring them bad names by indulging in hooliganism and violence. "While most devotees uphold the sanctity of the Yatra, some anti-social elements are conspiring to malign it. It is the responsibility of every Kanwar Sangh and every 'Shiv bhakt' to expose such elements. Do not allow them to enter your circle. Immediately inform the administration if you spot such people," he said. "Administration is there to take legal action if any such miscreant desecrates Kanwar. Nobody should take law into their hands," he added. The CM claimed that before 2017, govts in UP did not allow these pilgrimages to take place and created obstacles in their path. "Today, the govt respects your devotion. So, it is our responsibility to take it forward with the same sacred sentiment," he said, urging the Kanwariyas to join cleanliness campaigns and ensure that no river or road remains dirty. "Shiv bhakts should walk with a spirit of public welfare and remain mindful of not causing inconvenience to others," he said. Rajya Sabha member Laxmikant Bajpai and UP's Minister of State Somendra Tomar were also present.
