Yogi Adityanath remark on namaz kicks up row

Lucknow: UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath stirred up another controversy as he said that he had no right to stop the celebration of Janamashtami at police stations since he could not stop the offering of namaz on roads during Id.

The chief minister was speaking at an RSS function on Wednesday evening. He said, “Agar mai sadak par Id ke din namaz padhne pe rok nahi laga sakta to mujhe koi adhikar nahi ki main thano mein Janmashta-mi ke parv ko rokun” (If I cannot stop people from offering namaz in the roads on Id, I have no right to stop people from celebrating Janmashta-mi in jails). He asserted that everyone had the freedom to celebrate festivals in the country. If certain rules were made, it should be applicable to all sections of society.

The chief minister was apparently referring to the previous Samajwadi Party government, which had banned celebrations of Janamashtami at police stations and police lines. The chief minister further said, “I had asked officers to pass an order banning the use of loudspeakers at all places and ensure the order is implemented everywhere. But when the officers expressed their inability to implement the order at all religious places, I told them not to interfere with Kanwar yatra either.” 

“If they (kanwariyas) don’t dance and sing, play music and beat drums, don’t use the mike, it won’t be a Kanwar Yatra”, he stated. The chief minister said that those who worked towards cultural unity in the country were called communal.