Haridwar Seers Condemn Owaisi’s Remark On Kanwar Yatra

| Updated: 29 July, 2022 11:38 am IST

Akhil Bhartiya Akhada Parishad president Mahant Ravindra Puri

DEHRADUN: Top Hindu seers from Haridwar have condemned remarks of AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi, saying that “such comments create schism” between Hindus and Muslims.

In a tweet, the Hyderabad Lok Sabha MP had alleged partiality in the government’s approach towards Muslims.

“We have no objection that the government is using taxpayers money to shower flower petals on kanwariyas and policemen are messaging foot of the pilgrims…but why same treatment is not given to the Muslims,” he had asked.

Reacting to his comments, Akhil Bhartiya Akhada Parishad president Mahant Ravindra Puri said, “The statement of the MP is condemnable as such statements create schism between people of the country.”

“Kanwar festival is a tradition since times immemorial and it is the duty of the rulers to take care of pilgrims who perform such penance,” Puri further said, adding rebuffing the charge of partiality.

“All Muslim festivals and fairs are notified and the government makes necessary arrangements for such festivals. Also, there is a designated place for Namaz-a-Masjid. Performing Namaz takes just 5-10 minute while Kanwar Yatra takes days passing through many states. We are thankful to the Uttarakhand government for such excellent arrangements for Kanwar pilgrims,” added the seer.

Akhil Bhartiya Akhada Parishad is the apex body of all 14 prominent akhadas of Hindu religion.

Rupendra Prakash, Mahamandelashwar of Panchayati Akhada Udasin, said, “Kanwar yatra is symbolic of our culture, history and religion. The MP is just trying to play vote bank politics and wants the minority community of this country to behave nonsensically just like him.”

“His conduct is against the Constitution of this country. The government helps pilgrims who go for Hajj by spending crores of rupees,” he added.