Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday warned about people who, in his view, are creating false social media profiles to create caste-based tensions in society.
Addressing a national seminar dedicated to tribal freedom fighter 'Dharti Aaba' Bhagwan Birsa Munda in Varanasi, the Chief Minister emphasized the need to remain vigilant against forces that seek to destroy societal cohesion.
"Today, the biggest challenge we have is those who are attempting to break society. Some individuals are deliberately fomenting caste strife through fake social media accounts. We are acting strongly against such actions," Yogi Adityanath stated.
He recollected an earlier incident to bring out the way disinformation is disseminated for nefarious reasons. "Two to three years ago, when there was an arson attack, a man who had a saffron cloth wrapped around his head was caught on camera uttering 'Ya Allah'. The actions speak volumes of the true agenda of the people attempting to mislead and cause mayhem," he said.
Coming to more recent religious activities, the Chief Minister referred to the limitations put on the Tazia heights during Muharram in view of safety factors. "In Jaunpur, one Tazia was raised so high that it touched an overhead high-tension cable. Three lives were lost, and this caused communal disturbances," he said.
Justifying his firm stance on law enforcement, Yogi averred, "I instructed the administration to handle such elements strictly — use lathis (sticks) if they have to. That's the only language they know. No one raised an objection to this directive."
He also claimed that previous Muharram processions with weapons had often resulted in public agitation, hence it was dangerous for women and girls to travel freely.
Making a comparison, he appreciated the peaceful nature of Kanwar Yatra and expressed, "Kanwariyas journey hundreds of kilometers carrying Kanwars and singing 'Har Har Bam'. However, the media call them rioters or terrorists. This thought process is humiliating our heritage and faith."
Earlier during the day, the Chief Minister presided over a review meeting in the Varanasi Circuit House to gauge the progress of ongoing developmental schemes and review the law and order situation. He instructed senior police officials to keep close tabs on people misusing duplicate online profiles to cause unrest.
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