03 July,2025 08:30 PM IST | Lucknow | mid-day online correspondent
File Photo.
Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak on Thursday strongly criticised the Samajwadi Party after one of its legislators likened the BJP to "terrorists." This statement followed a government directive for shops along the Kanwar Yatra routes to display their names, reported news agency ANI.
Defending the move, Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak told ANI, "The Samajwadi Party leaders are constantly making rubbish statements on Kanwar Yatra. They are comparing Kanwar Yatra devotees with terrorists. It is highly condemnable. Samajwadi Party wants to implement Sharia law and pursue appeasement politics in UP. We are determined to organise a systematic and safe Kanwar Yatra in UP. It is the right of every buyer to know from whom they are purchasing items. It is the duty of every seller to display their name."
The Deputy Chief Minister's remarks were in response to Samajwadi Party MLA Ravidas Mehrotra, who termed the identity-related regulations "inappropriate," according to ANI.
"It is completely inappropriate to ask those who set up shop during the Kanwar Yatra about their caste and religion. There is no difference between the Bharatiya Janata Party and terrorists. People of the Bharatiya Janata Party also attack by asking about religion and caste, and terrorists also kill people by asking about their religion," SP MLA Mehrotra told ANI.
Moreover last month, Chief Minister Adityanath met with the officials and public representatives and issued several directives.
In light of the upcoming Kanwar Yatra, the Chief Minister instructed officials to ensure that Kanwariyas (devotees) do not face any inconvenience during their journey.
The Kanwar Yatra is an annual pilgrimage undertaken by devotees of Lord Shiva during the Hindu month of Shravan.
According to ANI, the Yatra is scheduled to commence on July 10th. In the Kanwar Yatra procession, Kanwariyas collect water from a river and carry it hundreds of kilometres to offer it to Lord Shiva's shrines. Devotees across the country perform worship, fasting, and pilgrimage dedicated to Lord Shiva. Meanwhille, Pilgrims take part with religious fervor and many of them walk barefoot. As some of them might not even be literate, even small confusions, such as the kind of food they are served, has the potential to hurt their religious sentiments and cause flare ups, especially in a communally sensitive area like Muzaffarnagar.
(With inputs from ANI)
