Lucknow, 20 July: The Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday welcomed the Shiva devotees in many districts of western Uttar Pradesh on the holy occasion of ‘Kanwar Yatra’ and respected their devotion. Chief Minister Yogi came down on the road in Meerut and showered flowers on Kanwariyas. Earlier,
the Chief Minister also showered flowers on Kanwariyas from a helicopter in some districts including Ghaziabad and paid tribute to their emotional devotion.
CM Yogi warned not to spare at any cost those who create disturbance in the guise of Kanwar Yatra and defame the Yatra in Meerut .
In a press conference in Meerut, Chief Minister Yogi said that I heartily welcome all of you in the month of Sawan. Lakhs of Shiva devotees from different states of the country are taking holy Ganga water from Haridwar and performing Jalabhishek in various temples of Lord Shiva. Devotees will express their feelings at holy places like Baba Augharnath Temple, Pura Mahadev Temple, Dudheshwar Nath Temple. It is extremely pleasing that youth, women, children and elders are all participating in this yatra and presenting a unique example of social equality. Administration will deal strictly with those who defame faith.Â
Chief Minister gave a clear warning and said that some anti-social elements are conspiring to defame this holy yatra. These mischievous elements are trying to defame the Kanwar Yatra through social media and other means. He said that it is the duty of every Kanwar Sangh and every Shiva devotee to identify and expose such miscreants and inform the administration immediately.
Yogi said that CCTV cameras have been installed on the entire route and after the completion of the yatra, the miscreants will be identified and their posters will be made public. Those who defame the Kanwar Yatra and create disturbance in the name of the yatra will not be spared at any cost. The government has made strong arrangements for security and convenience.Â
Chief Minister Yogi said that the government, administration, voluntary organizations and religious institutions have made extensive arrangements for the successful and safe conduct of the Kanwar Yatra. The entire administration is deployed to ensure that the devotees do not face any inconvenience and there is no problem related to traffic or security. Pandals have been set up at various places, welcome camps have been set up and complete arrangements have been made for drinking water, first aid and rest. The
Chief Minister urged the Shiva devotees to take special care of cleanliness during the journey. Do not dirty any road, intersection or public place. As sacred as this journey is, its dignity should remain the same. Shiv devotees should travel with a sense of public welfare and also take care of the inconvenience of others.Â
Attacking the previous governments, Chief Minister Yogi said that before the year 2017, such holy pilgrimages were not encouraged, but were obstructed. Today, when there is a government that respects faith, it is the duty of every Shiva devotee to carry forward this tradition with peace and dignity.
Chief Minister said that if anyone gets information about miscreants, he should inform the administration instead of taking the law into his own hands. It is the responsibility of all of us to maintain the dignity of this holy pilgrimage. Lord Shiva is the god of public welfare, his grace showers equally on everyone. In such a situation, it is the responsibility of all of us to keep this pilgrimage away from any kind of violence or chaos.
Before Meerut, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath performed Jalabhishek of Lord Shiva and worshiped at the historic Peeth Dudheshwar Nath temple located in Ghaziabad. In view of the arrival of the Chief Minister, the administration had made tight security arrangements at the temple and nearby places. After this, Chief Minister Yogi also showered flowers on Kanwad Shiva devotees here.