Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday issued a stern warning to the Waqf Board, saying that those coming to the Maha Kumbh with the intention of “claiming the land” would face “denting-painting”.
Speaking at an Aaj Tak event, Adityanath said, “Anyone who respects Indian traditions is welcome. Many people had ancestors who converted to Islam under pressure in the past, yet they still take pride in Indian traditions.”
“If such people, following traditions, come to take a dip in the Ganga, there is no problem. But if someone comes with the intention of claiming the land, they might face denting-painting,” the chief minister told the TV channel.
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Yogi Adityanath’s remarks have come in response to a statement by All India Muslim Jammat (AIMJ) president Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi Barelvi, who claimed that the land where the preparations for the Maha Kumbh 2025 were being made was Waqf’s land and that the entry of Muslims was being banned.
“The land where preparations are being made for Kumbh Mela belongs to Waqf – 54 bighas. Muslims showed a big heart and did not raise any objection but on the other hand, Akhada Parishad and other Babas are banning the entry of Muslims. This narrow-mindedness will have to be given up, we will have to show a big heart like Muslims,” Barelvi had said in a post on X.
‘No discrimination during Maha Kumbh’: Yogi Adityanath
During the interaction, Adityanath said there would be no “discrimination of any kind” during the Maha Kumbh, which begins on January 13.
But he minced no words in attacking the Waqf Board, saying that his government would “reclaim every inch of land that had been taken under the pretext of waqf”.
“The Kumbh has been a symbol of India’s heritage for thousands of years and has always taken place here. It is not the Waqf Board but a board of land mafias,” he was quoted as saying.
The Maha Kumbh, the world’s largest spiritual congregation, is being celebrated after 12 years and a huge turnout of devotees is expected in Prayagraj from January 13 to February 26.