Ghaziabad (Uttar Pradesh), March 22: A controversy has erupted after the police took action during a Kalash Yatra in Ghaziabad’s Loni. Kalash Yatra is a religious procession held as part of a Ram Katha event. Yati Narsinghanand Giri, the head priest of Dasna Peeth and a senior religious leader, has expressed his anger against Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath over the police action. He has issued a direct warning to Yogi Adityanath, saying that he will not eat or drink until the accused police officer Ajay Mishra is transferred.
Adding to the controversy, Yati Narsinghanand made remarks insulting Mahatma Gandhi, which led the Ghaziabad Police to file an FIR against him.
What Did Yati Narsinghanand Say?
Yati Narsinghanand criticised CM Yogi, saying, “You are not just a political leader but also a saint dressed in saffron and the head of the important Gorakshpeeth monastery.”
He strongly reacted to a viral video of BJP MLA Nand Kishore Gurjar crying during a press conference. “Nand Kishore is a brave Hindu leader. Seeing him cry yesterday disturbed me. I watched the video 100 times and couldn’t sleep all night,” he said.
Condemning the police action, he declared, “Attacking the Kalash Yatra is an attack on Sanatan Dharma and Ramayana.” He alleged that Hindu religious sentiments were deliberately hurt and questioned, “Would the police have taken such action if this were a religious event of another faith?”
Yati Narsinghanand further stated, “I don’t care about your politics, but since yesterday, I have felt like slapping the one who insulted our sacred religious text. The police and administration are plotting to have me killed. My security has been reduced.”
Controversial Statement on Mahatma Gandhi
Yati Narsinghanand dismissed the Sambhal issue as fake and insisted that real issues should be discussed. He said, “The real issue is how much strength you have given to religion. Otherwise, history does not forgive anyone. At one time, the entire Hindu society admired Gandhi, but today, no Hindu…”
He also said, “I do not consider Gandhi as my father. I consider Gandhi-Nehru as the biggest traitors in human history. Because of them, we 100 crore Hindus do not have even an inch of land to call our country. I do not consider Gandhi as the father of the nation.”
He also compared CM Yogi to past leaders, saying, “I have seen many Chief Ministers – Kalyan Singh, Rajnath Singh, Mulayam Singh Yadav, Mayawati, Akhilesh Yadav and now you. But such an insult to the Ramayana never happened under any other CM.”
Criticism of the Police
Yati Narsinghanand further attacked the police, saying, “No officer would have dared to behave this way in a religious procession attended by a ruling party MLA. Your ACP, who made a video and held a press conference, doesn’t even realise that it was a women-led Kalash Yatra. The police officers in Loni are now attacking us. But you won’t always be CM. One day, these very officers will turn against you.”
Warning to CM Yogi
Yati Narsinghanand warned CM Yogi, saying, “The day will come when no one will stand by you. No one will protest for you at railway stations or government offices because by then, you would have already gotten all of us killed.”
Accusing the Uttar Pradesh police of corruption and oppression of Hindus, he announced, “Until Ajay Mishra, the demon, is transferred from Ghaziabad, I will not eat any food. I will survive only on water. I will wait until Monday because I am performing a ritual for my mother.”
Taking an even stronger stance, he added, “If Ajay Mishra is not transferred by Monday, I will go alone and stage a protest at the police headquarters. If you want to have me beaten, killed, encountered, or arrested—do whatever you want. If this can happen to Nand Kishore today, it can happen to me tomorrow. The world may tolerate this, but I will not.”
