Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday accused some people of trying to defame the kanwar yatra through social media and urged all kanwar sanghs (pilgrim groups) to expose such individuals.
“Wherever there is excitement, faith, and devotion, some people always try to disturb it and defame it,” Adityanath said while addressing an event in Meerut. He claimed that certain miscreants infiltrate kanwar groups, wear saffron clothes, and create chaos to tarnish the image of the yatra.
In recent days, videos have circulated on social media showing men dressed as kanwariyas damaging vehicles, fighting on roads, and even ransacking hotels.
“These people are not real devotees. They are miscreants who enter the groups to give them a bad name,” Adityanath said. “You must unmask them and keep them away. Do not let them become part of your group. Inform the administration immediately if you see anyone misbehaving.”
He added that the administration is watching and will take strict legal action against anyone found guilty of disrupting the yatra. “We have CCTV footage of all such acts. After the yatra ends, we will paste posters of these troublemakers and take strict action,” he warned.
The Chief Minister also compared the current situation to the period before 2017, when he said previous governments allegedly tried to stop or block religious pilgrimages like the kanwar yatra. “Now, the government respects your faith. We must carry this forward with the same devotion,” he said.
He also urged the kanwariyas to participate in cleanliness drives and ensure that roads, intersections, and rivers remain clean during their journey.
On Friday, Adityanath had also said that some people were calling kanwariyas “rioters” and “terrorists” in an attempt to malign the yatra.
Meanwhile, in a related incident, three kanwariyas were arrested in Mirzapur for allegedly assaulting a CRPF jawan at the railway station during a fight over train tickets. The jawan was trying to board the Brahmaputra Express to Jharkhand, as were the kanwariyas, when an argument broke out.
Government Railway Police intervened, rescued the jawan, and registered a case. The accused were later released on bail.
Adityanath, during his Meerut visit, also showered flower petals on the kanwariyas from a stage near Dulhera Chowki. He was joined by Rajya Sabha MP Laxmikant Bajpai and UP Minister of State Somendra Tomar.
