Chief minister Yogi Adityanath reviews Kanwar yatra plans in west Uttar Pradesh

CM Yogi assessed the preparations for the Kanwar Mela at the temple and sought detailed updates from district magistrate Deepak Meena regarding the arrangements for the influx of Kanwariyas.

Uttar Pradesh chief minister, Yogi Adityanath, on Sunday morning visited Dudheshwar Nath temple in Ghaziabad and formally inaugurated the Shravan Kanwar Mela while also reviewing the Kanwar Yatra preparations in western districts of Uttar Pradesh (UP), said officials.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath showering flowers on Kanwariyas in Meerut on Sunday. (Sakib Ali / HT PHOTO)

CM Yogi assessed the preparations for the Kanwar Mela at the temple and sought detailed updates from district magistrate Deepak Meena regarding the arrangements for the influx of Kanwariyas, said officials of the UP information department.

“CM Yogi also inquired about the progress of the Dudheshwar Nath temple corridor being developed under the tourism department within the temple premises. After visiting the temple, CM Yogi proceeded to the Ghaziabad police lines, from where he boarded a helicopter to shower flower petals on Kanwariyas travelling along routes passing through various districts of western UP, especially near the borders of Muzaffarnagar and Meerut,” said officials.

“CM Yogi expressed satisfaction about the arrangements taken up for Kanwar Yatra and Kanwariyas in Ghaziabad. We also briefed him about the progress of the temple corridor, for which several old shops need to be shifted out. We will also hold a meeting in this regard within a week, and further progress is expected soon,” said district magistrate Deepak Meena.

The temple corridor in Ghaziabad is expected to be built on the lines of the corridor in Kashi Vishwanath in Varanasi.

While in Meerut district, CM Yogi warned of strict action against any attempt to disrupt the Yatra.

“It is the responsibility of every Kanwar sangh and every Shiv bhakt to expose such elements and immediately inform the authorities. The entire Yatra route is under CCTV surveillance, and once the Yatra concludes, strict action will be taken against those identified. Their posters will also be displayed publicly,” said CM Yogi in a statement issued by the department.

CM Yogi while taking a dig at the previous governments said that before 2017, such pilgrimages were neither supported nor respected, but they were obstructed.

“Today, with a government that values and protects faith, it is the collective duty of all devotees to carry forward this tradition with peace and respect. If anyone receives information about any such person, they should inform the administration instead of taking the law into their own hands,” said CM Yogi.

Reacting to CM Yogi’s statements, Samajwadi Party’s district president Faizal Hussain, said, “The Kanwar Yatra went on peacefully during previous years and previous governments, and it was never stopped. People of different faiths have always supported and contributed towards it. Political statements should be avoid during religious events. But, it is the habit of the BJP leaders to play divisive politics. They will never raise and listen to the issues of unemployment, poverty, lack of education facilities and healthcare which largely affect the common man.”