Only illiterate, superstitious villagers embark on the Kanwar Yatra, Samajwadi Party (SP) MLA Ziyauddin Rizvi said on Saturday (July 26, 2025), claiming that the family members of big leaders or industrialists do not undertake this pilgrimage.
“Flowers are being showered on Kanwar Yatris. Why do no sons of an IAS officer or PCS officer, or the sons of Amit Shah, Anil Ambani or of any BJP MP or MLA go for the Kanwar Yatra?” asked the Sikandarpur MLA, addressing an SP rally at Ballia district headquarters.
‘Communal polarisation’
The BJP accused the SP of trying to create communal divisions, claiming that Mr. Rizvi’s statement showed his religious intolerance.
“The recent remarks reflect a morally bankrupt and narrow-minded view of faith, revealing an intolerance toward religious diversity. Matters of belief should remain private, not weaponised for political gain. This rhetoric, rooted in frustration, exposes a dangerous pattern of communal polarisation. True to form, the Samajwadi Party is once again attempting to stoke division in a desperate bid to stay politically relevant,” said Pushkar Mishra, a senior BJP leader based in Uttar Pradesh.
The Kanwar Yatra is a major pilgrimage undertaken during the month of Sawan, also known as Shravan, according to the Hindu calendar. The Yatra is especially undertaken by devotees of Lord Shiva, with many observing fasts and refraining from consuming meat, alcohol, and even onion and garlic during this period.
