‘Efforts being made to defame kanwariyas, term them rioters’: UP CM blames ‘mentality that wants to insult heritage’

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday said that efforts were being made to defame kanwar pilgrims who are subjected to a media trial and termed terrorists and rioters. He said this stemmed from mentality that wants to insult India’s heritage.

According to a PTI report, Adityanath said those who seek to defame the kanwar ‘yatris’ are the same people who tried to separate the tribal community from India. The CM was speaking at a seminar on tribal icon Birsa Munda.

“They conspired at every level to make them fight against India. This is the same community that always insults the faith of India and these are the same people who today want to create a situation of caste conflict by creating fake accounts on social media platforms,” the UP CM said.

“There is a wonderful confluence of unity. No discrimination. There is no distinction of caste, no distinction of region, no distinction of class, no difference of opinion, no difference of sect, they go chanting ‘Har Har Bam Bam’. They walk 300-400 kilometres, then take water from there, put the kanwar on their shoulders and walk back in the same way with the same devotion,” he added.

Uttarakhand CM welcomes Kanwariyas in Haridwar, washes feet of pilgrims

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami reached Haridwar and participated in the event organised at the Ganga Ghat near Om Bridge and welcomed and honoured Kanwariyas (Shiva devotees) from all over the country by washing their feet. He also participated in the Bhajan Sandhya on Thursday, an ANI report said.

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said, “It is my good fortune to have had the opportunity to wash the feet of Shiva devotees, the Kanwariyas, and receive their blessings.”

So far this year, more than one crore Shiva devotees have left for their respective destinations on the Kanwar Yatra.

He highlighted that the Kanwar Yatra is not only a religious event but also a symbol of our faith, devotion, and Sanatan culture, and that we are fortunate to have the opportunity to serve crore of Shiva devotees every year. He said that Shiv Shakti is not a display but an internal sadhana.

During the ongoing Kanwar Yatra, flowers were also showered on Shiva devotees from a helicopter in Haridwar on Thursday, ANI reported.

CM Dhami appealed to the Kanwariyas that even if someone faces some difficulty, they should not create difficulty for others.

(With inputs from agencies)