Varanasi: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday lashed out at sections of the media for what he described as biased reporting against Kanwar Yatra pilgrims, accusing them of portraying devotees as criminals and terrorists.
Speaking at a national seminar in Varanasi dedicated to tribal freedom fighter Bhagwan Birsa Munda, Adityanath said, "The Kanwar Yatra is currently underway. People from all walks of life — from the working class to the upper class — are part of it. There is unity and no discrimination, yet the entire movement is subjected to a media trial. They are being branded as criminals and terrorists. This reflects a mindset that is determined to malign India’s heritage.”
The Kanwar Yatra, an annual religious pilgrimage where devotees of Lord Shiva carry holy water from the Ganga to offer at Shiva temples, began this year on July 11. Lakhs of Kanwariyas are participating across northern Indian states including Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Bihar, Haryana, and Delhi. The massive scale of the event has prompted governments to deploy large-scale security arrangements, along with traffic diversions and public safety measures.
However, reports of unruly behaviour by some Kanwariyas — including incidents of vehicles being damaged and property being vandalised — have sparked criticism, especially from opposition leaders.
Congress leader Digvijaya Singh recently posted two contrasting images on social media: one showing Kanwar Yatra devotees obstructing a road, and another showing Muslims offering namaz. “One country, two laws?” Singh wrote on X (formerly Twitter), triggering a fresh wave of political sparring.
While defending the religious event, Adityanath did not directly address the specific incidents, but made it clear that he viewed the criticism as part of a broader agenda to delegitimise Indian cultural traditions.
The Chief Minister’s remarks underscore the political sensitivities surrounding religious gatherings, particularly when they are large-scale and intersect with issues of law and order, civic convenience, and religious coexistence.
