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Indian Express
3 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Who is Swami Yashveer Maharaj, making headlines over eatery checks on Kanwar route
On June 28, a video surfaced on social media from outside an eatery in Uttar Pradesh's Muzaffarnagar. In it, a man, Gopal, claimed he was stripped by a group inside Pandit Vaishno Ji Dhaba along National Highway 58. He alleged that the men wanted to 'check his religion'. The group identified itself as the Chatrapati Shivaji Sena, led by Swami Yashveer Maharaj. Since the start of the Kanwar Yatra, the outfit has allegedly been carrying out an 'identification campaign' of shops and dhabas along the Kanwar Yatra route to 'ascertain the owner's religious identity' and ensure that devotees are served only by Hindu-run dhabas. Following the incident, on July 1, the Muzaffarnagar police issued notices to six members of the outfit for allegedly conducting unauthorised Aadhaar and caste verifications of eatery owners along the pilgrimage route. Two constables were also deployed to ensure Yashveer's security. When The Indian Express contacted the Muzaffarnagar police on July 17 to ask about the reasons behind his heightened security, an officer requesting anonymity said that such decisions are taken based on assessment reports. 'If he has received security, it would be based on reports,' he said. The matter went to the Supreme Court. On July 15, it sought the Uttar Pradesh government's response to an application challenging the reported direction to food sellers along the Kanwar Yatra route to display QR code stickers that would reveal ownership details of the eatery and other compliance when scanned. A bench of Justices M M Sundresh and N K Singh had asked the state to file its reply in a week and fixed the matter for hearing next on July 22. 'What I'm doing, Muslims should have done' The Indian Express paid a visit to Yashveer's ashram, about 14 km away from Muzaffarnagar, in Baghra village. Flanked by a boundary wall painted saffron, the entrance to the Yog Sadhna Yashveer Ashram has a smaller gate for visitors, who are received by Yashveer's companion, Brahmachari Swami Mrigendra. After a brief screening, he introduces them to Swami Yashveer. Spread over two bighas, there are three mango trees inside the premises, flowering plants, and a Hawan Kund. A white Mahinder Bolero Neo car is parked to the side. Under one mango tree, Yashveer was seated on a red plastic chair. He was clad in an orange dhoti, with a matching saffron shawl draped over his torso. His hair was neatly parted in the centre, with silver earrings in his ears, and a streak of orange and red vermilion on his forehead. When asked about the June 28 incident, he asserted that he was not checking anyone's identity but was trying to help the police. 'Mai jo kar raha hun, woh toh Musalmano ko karna chahiye tha. Woh log kyun hamare devi devtaon ke naam pe dukan chala rahe hai? (What I am doing should have been done by Muslims. Why are Muslims naming their shops after our (Hindu) gods and goddesses?' he asked. 'We had raised our voices last year as well. There were at least 85% Muslims who were running their shops along the Kanwar route in the name of Hindu gods. They want to ruin our religion,' he alleged. How does he know all this? 'People tell me about their (Muslims) activities. They notice every activity going on at all eateries,' he said. He also said the allegations that his group was stripping people or asking their names and identity were false. 'I only give them a Sanatani flag and an image of Varaha (the third avatar of Vishnu who takes the form of a boar) to display at their shop.' Born in a Jat family in Muzaffarnagar, Swami Yashveer claimed he has severed all ties with his past. He said he left home during his childhood, wandered through several districts of Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, performing yoga and teaching it to students. 'I used to perform dangerous stunts in public,' he said. He claimed he could stop a 'moving truck with his hand, tear apart brass plates and bend iron rods'. When asked to perform one of his stunts, he said he needed a certain kind of power and it could only happen in the presence of a crowd. Yashveer also said his food is only cooked in cow ghee donated by followers and has no salt or sugar. 'I am a saint,' he said. 'I belong to no family, no village. Today, I am Swami Yashveer Maharaj and I have devoted my life to the protection of Sanatana Dharma.' When asked about his family and education, he said, 'Asking a sanyasi about his identity is against Sanatan Dharma. A saint should not be questioned about their personal life. Right now I am a Hindu saint, Swami Yashveer, and this is my identity.' Yashveer first came into the public eye in December 2015 after a 23-year-old Hindu woman eloped with a married Muslim man in Shamli. On December 25, a mahapanchayat was held, where Yashveer allegedly gave an inflammatory speech in the presence of BJP MP Hukum Singh and BJP MLA Suresh Rana — fanning communal tensions. Shamli Police had registered an FIR against him on charges of giving a provocative speech and promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion and began conducting raids to trace Yashveer. They first arrested his nephew, Jitendra, on charges of conspiracy and then nabbed Yashveer on December 28 during a joint operation by a SWAT team and Muzaffarnagar Police. On January 1, 2016, police added a section of the National Security Act against Yashveer for his provocative speech. He was released on bail from prison in August of the same year after serving a jail term of seven months. Since then, Yashveer's rhetoric has only hardened. He has claimed to have helped more than a thousand Muslims 'return to Sanatan Dharma,' a process commonly referred to by right-wing Hindu groups as ghar wapsi. Such claims are hard to verify and not publicly corroborated by the administration, but they continue to form a key part of his narrative. Following the Muzaffarnagar case, Yashveer has stopped checking the religious identity of shopkeepers and eatery owners along the route. But several shopkeepers confirmed that he continues to offer the Varaha flag to eateries along the Kanwar route, especially in Haridwar, Ghaziabad, and Meerut. Neetika Jha is a Correspondent with The Indian Express. She covers crime, health, environment as well as stories of human interest, in Noida, Ghaziabad and western UP. When not on the field she is probably working on another story idea. On weekends, she loves to read fiction over a cup of coffee. The Thursday Murder club, Yellow Face and Before the Coffee Gets Cold were her recent favourites. She loves her garden as much as she loves her job. She is an alumnus of Asian College of Journalism, Chennai. ... Read More
Time of India
02-07-2025
- Time of India
‘Who gives you the right?': Cops question vigilantes' ‘identity drive' on kanwar route
Agra: UP police have issued notices to at least six supporters of an ashram head for allegedly carrying out an unauthorised "drive" to ascertain the identity and faith of dhaba workers along the kanwar yatra route in Muzaffarnagar a few days ago. The group allegedly demanded Aadhaar cards and details of caste, religion, and addresses from staff and owners at Pandit Ji Shudh Vaishno Dhaba on NH-58, and tried to forcibly remove a worker's trousers to verify his religion. The vigilantes, supporters of self-styled seer Swami Yashveer Maharaj, run an initiative named 'Pehchan Abhiyan (identification campaign)', claiming several food outlets on the kanwar route use Hindu names despite being operated by people from other communities, which could mislead pilgrims. In notices issued from New Mandi police station for disturbing public peace and conducting illegal checks without govt authorisation, police said: "Under which rule and authority did you check the hotels and dhabas, ask objectionable questions, and try to disturb the peace in the area? You are directed to appear within three days of receiving this notice and explain in writing why legal action should not be taken against you. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Experience Luxury at Its Finest – ATS Dolce Gr. Noida ATS Infrastructure Ltd Learn More Undo " SHO Dinesh Chand said more individuals are being identified. Maharaj denied the allegation that anyone forcibly removed any employee's trousers. But he said, "We warned this dhaba to change its name within 24 hours or face protests starting Thursday morning. This is not a Hindu-run establishment and is misusing the name 'Pandit'." He cited state govt directives requiring eateries to display the owner's name, warning of legal action under Section 420 for misrepresentation. In a related development, police separately registered a case against five people, including the dhaba's owners, after Dharmender Sharma, a manager associated with Yashveer, alleged he was assaulted on Sunday night. Police said an FIR was filed under relevant sections, including BNS Section 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt). Police said investigations into both incidents are ongoing. Muzaffarnagar is a critical stop on the kanwar route for lakhs of devotees from UP, Delhi, Rajasthan, and Haryana who collect Ganga water from Haridwar during Shravan month. This came even as Meerut district administration directed "every shop along the kanwar route to display QR codes, allowing pilgrims to instantly verify vendor details".
Time of India
28-06-2025
- Time of India
Kanwar route eatery staff stripped to ascertain faith
1 2 3 4 5 6 Agra: Members of a Hindu outfit allegedly tried to forcibly verify the religious identity of a dhaba worker by attempting to strip him during an 'identity campaign' near the Kanwar Yatra route on Saturday at Pandit Ji Vaishno Dhaba along Delhi-Dehradun National Highway 58 in Muzaffarnagar. The confrontation began when the team scanned the eatery's QR code and claimed, erroneously, that the owner belonged to the minority community. The employee at the receiving end of the assault, Gopal, said, "I work here and live at the hotel. These people tried to take off my pants. First, they asked for my Aadhaar card, but I don't have it. They were intent on stripping me naked. I'm unwell. I told them I'm not a Muslim, I am a Hindu. I didn't lie." Police soon reached the spot and brought the situation under control. However, no formal complaint was filed by Gopal or the dhaba owner. New Mandi SHO Dinesh Chand said, "We controlled the situation and no police complaint was filed by anyone in the matter." Self-styled seer Swami Yashveer Ji Maharaj, who runs an ashram in Muzaffarnagar and led the 'Pehchan Abhiyan' (identity campaign) said several food outlets on the Kanwar route use Hindu names despite being run by individuals from other communities, which could "mislead pilgrims." by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Plastic Surgeon Reveals The 1 Thing Every Woman Should Be Using Instead Of Moisturiser New Skin Discovery Undo He said, "We have warned this dhaba to change its name within 24 hours or face a protest starting tomorrow morning. This is not a Hindu-run establishment and is misusing the name 'Pandit'." He referred to state govt directives requiring eateries to display the owner's name and warned of legal action under Section 420 for misrepresentation. Multiple dhabas operate along NH-58 in Muzaffarnagar, many of which shut during the Kanwar Yatra if they serve non-vegetarian food. Last year, similar pressure was applied on fruit sellers and dhaba owners to display their names. However, in July 2024, Supreme Court issued an interim stay on such directives from the UP and Uttarakhand govts. The court held that eateries and shops could only be required to indicate whether they serve veg or non-veg food, not display names of owners or staff. The directive, which had emerged during last year's Yatra, had led to harassment of Muslim shopkeepers and staff. Several establishments were reportedly forced to shut, dismiss Muslim workers, or alter names to avoid targeting. Opposition leaders and rights activists termed the orders discriminatory and said they risked marginalising specific communities economically. Muzaffarnagar borders Uttarakhand and serves as a key passage for lakhs of devotees from UP, Delhi, Rajasthan, and Haryana, who collect Ganga water from Haridwar during the Shravan month. When asked about the ongoing identity campaign, SP (city), Satyanarayan Prajapat, said, "The guidelines of the Supreme Court will be followed."
The Print
28-04-2025
- Politics
- The Print
Tejasvi Surya slams K'taka govt over Rs 10 lakh compensation for kin of Pahalgam attack victims
Addressing a press conference here, the BJP MP expressed deep disappointment over the 'paltry Rs 10 lakh compensation' announced by the state government for the families of the terror attack victims. Manjunath Rao and Bharath Bushan were among the 26 people killed in front of their families after confirming their religious identity in Kashmir's Pahalgam on Tuesday. Most of those killed by terrorists were tourists. Bengaluru, Apr 28 (PTI) BJP leader Tejasvi Surya on Monday slammed the Karnataka government for announcing Rs 10 lakh compensation for the families of the Pahalgam terror attack victims and called it 'shameful' for not considering adequate support for the survivors. Both women are single mothers supporting young children and need urgent help to educate and secure their future, he said. 'When Karnataka Government could award a compensation of Rs 15 lakh after a man was trampled to death by an elephant in Rahul Gandhi's previous constituency in Wayanad, it's shameful that it is not even considering a suitable compensation for the survivors of the terror attack,' he said. In solidarity with the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack, the BJP MP said that the Hindu society of Bengaluru South today came forward to support the families of Manjunath Rao and Bharat Bhushan, on his appeal. According to him, Rs 10,00,001 each is being given to both families. Rs 1 more than the amount announced by the 'insensitive Siddaramaiah led government. A total support of Rs 20,00,002. 'SSMRV College under RV Trust will fully sponsor the degree education of Shri Manjunath Rao's meritorious son, who secured 97 per cent in his II PU. Meanwhile, Transcend Group of Institutions will provide complete free education for Shri Bharat Bhushan's son from Grade 1 to Grade 12 – ensuring the best education for both children,' he said. He cited that Shree Bhagwaan Mahaveer Jain Hospital has come forward to provide complete medical care for the mother and child of the victims families for the next 11 years. 'I appeal to Hindu-run institutions and organisations to come forward and extend support to the affected families in their respective states. It is our collective responsibility to stand by members of our community in this hour of need,' he added. Surya, who is also Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha national president, wondered how Congress' 'pseudo- secularism' prevents it from acknowledging the clear religious motive behind the attack on Hindus. 'Even Asaduddin Owaisi (AIMIM president) admitted that terrorists asked for religion before killing — yet Congress continues to stay in denial,' he said. Condemning the statement made by Karnataka Excise Minister R B Thimmapur on the recent terror attack, the BJP leader said that the 'shameful' statements of Minister show to what extent Congress can stoop for vote bank politics. On Saturday, Minister Thimmapur had claimed that the perpetrators of the attack in Pahalgam would not have asked the name and the religion of victims and said, 'It is unfair to target a particular religion over the attack.' PTI AMP ROH This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
