CM wants peaceful Muharram, Puja; warns trouble makers
Chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday warned trouble makers against any misadventure during the festive season of Durga Puja and Dussehra that is coinciding with Muharram.
Yogi said guidelines would be formed for Muharram and Durga Puja and warned of a permanent ban on processions if any sort of trouble is created from any side.
The chief minister was speaking at ‘Safaigiri’ awards programme organized by a Delhibased media house here.
When asked about ban on Durga ‘visarjan’ on Muharram in West Bengal, Yogi said, “I will not like to comment. However, such matters should be left to district administration as they decide what is good or bad for an area. You cannot dictate terms on celebration of festivals. If this continues Mamata Banerjee (West Bengal chief minister) would not be there in next term.”
He said during the kanwar yatra four crore kanwarias hit the roads but not a single incident of indiscipline was reported.
“They purchase their food items, not loot them. So there is no need to restrict processions which are peaceful. However, processions which are violent will surely invite strict action and ban,” he said.
Yogi claimed the crime graph of the state had come down after an initial ‘burst’ as “criminals were acting at the behest of some politicians.”
Warning those who give shelter to criminals, he said, “The state government is going to bring a new law in which punishment would be awarded to those who harbor criminals. People who are white collared but provide patronage to criminals would also be accused in crimes as their role is no lesser.”
Speaking on the deaths of neonates in Gorakhpur’s BRD Medical College, Yogi said, “There was a lot of negative reporting. Any death is painful but it was written that we are insensitive towards death. We don’t bother about the kids.”
“Without mentioning the fact that we have immunized 92 lakh kids against JE, encephalitis, AE, and other vector and water borne diseases in 20 districts of eastern UP in just five months . 385 deaths that occurred in August was half compared to 688 in 2016. I am giving these figures for those who question our commitment instead of asking those who kept ruling for the last 15 years,” the CM said.
Yogi added: “It is well known fact that cleanliness is important for eradication of AE and encephalitis. We distributed soaps among masses but it was reported that we were humiliating Dalits by distributing soaps. There has always been negative reporting about us.”
About the recent incident at Ryan International School, Gurgaon he said, “Our society will have to come out with the answers, and such sadist people will have to be identified by society and kept away from kids.”