UP CM Yogi Busts 'Media Trial' Around Religious Proceedings, Says 'Kanwar Yatris Are Labelled As Terrorists'

UP CM Yogi said that the alleged defamation reflects a 'mentality that seeks to tarnish India's heritage' and also claimed that the Kanwar Yatris are being labelled as criminals and terrorists. This comes after the SC on Tuesday issued a notice to the UP government seeking their responses to a plea challenging the mandate that requires shopkeepers along the Kanwar Yatra route to display QR codes.

UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath (Photo Credit: ANI)

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday, while addressing a gathering, said that people from all social classes are involved in the ongoing Kanwar Yatra; however, there is a media trial, and the religious proceeding is being defamed. He also claimed that the Kanwar Yatris are being labelled as criminals and terrorists. 

He added that the alleged defamation reflects a 'mentality that seeks to tarnish India's heritage'. 

"Kanwar Yatra is ongoing. People from all social classes, from the working class to the upper class, are involved in this movement. There is a strong sense of unity, and no discrimination is evident," the Uttar Pradesh CM said. 

"However, there is a media trial, and the Kanwar Yatra is being defamed. They (Kanwar Yatris) are even labelled as criminals and terrorists. This reflects a mentality that seeks to tarnish India's heritage in every way," CM Yogi said. 

#WATCH | Varanasi: UP CM Yogi Adityanath says, "Kanwar Yatra is ongoing. People from all social classes, from the working class to the upper class, are involved in this movement. There is a strong sense of unity, and no discrimination is evident... However, there is a media… pic.twitter.com/m0XAnlX4Om

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SC's Notice To UP Govt

This statement by the UP Chief Minister comes after the Supreme Court on Tuesday issued a notice to the state governments of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand seeking their responses to a plea challenging the mandate that requires shopkeepers along the Kanwar Yatra route to display QR codes, which could be scanned to identify the owners via their names.

The UP government had issued an order earlier this year, mandating eateries to display QR codes containing information on the shop owners. Subsequently, the Uttarakhand government also issued a similar mandate. 

The order, which was challenged in the apex court, is alleged to be violating citizens' fundamental rights. The plea also stated that the direction requiring vendors to display their names would lead to discriminatory profiling. 

The pea also noted that a similar mandate issued by the UP government last year was stayed by the Supreme Court. Thus, as per ANI, the plea seeks the respondent government to explain how the said mandate does not violate the constitutional rights of citizens and the interim stay order issued by the top court last year.

(with ANI inputs)