Yogi warns: Posters of fake Kanwariyas to be pasted after yatra ends; CM says CCTV footage will expose troublemakers

Time of India

3 days ago

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.
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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.