Lucknow: As the Kanwar Yatra enters its 14th day, cities across Uttar Pradesh witnessed a mix of devotion, disruption, and debate. In Kasganj, tempers flared when a state-run bus accidentally damaged a kanwar. Enraged devotees halted the vehicle, evacuated passengers, and vandalized the bus. The drivers fled the scene, prompting police intervention. Officials assured the kanwariyas their kanwar would be refilled and appealed for calm.
Elsewhere in Jhansi, SDM Ajay Kumar sang devotional songs for pilgrims, while Kotwali in-charge Vidyasagar Singh was seen kneading dough and preparing food for the devotees along the roadside.
Tensions simmered in Lucknow after politician Swami Prasad Maurya’s remarks alleging that “criminals in the guise of kanwariyas” were behind violence during the yatra. Right wing groups attempted a symbolic “purification” outside his residence, leading to heavy police deployment. Protesters were detained and relocated. Maurya doubled down, stating, “True devotees don’t indulge in violence. Those doing so are state-protected criminals masquerading as pilgrims.” Meanwhile, in Varanasi, the faithful continue to pour in.
Over 16 lakh have visited Kashi Vishwanath in just two weeks. Lines stretched over a kilometer this morning as devotees waited to perform jalabhishek before heading home. The yatra both spiritual and increasingly political marches on.
