Congress, SP attack Yogi Adityanath's 'Har ki Pauri' remarks

Congress and Samajwadi Party on Wednesday attacked BJP MP Yogi Adityanath for his remarks seeking barring of non-Hindus in Har Ki Pauri in Haridwar and questioned the "silence" of Prime Minister Narendra Modi over such remarks.

"I think this is happening with monotonous regularity. There are statements everyday," Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said adding that many of the "extremely communal, divisive right wing forces" are in "coalition with government". He alleged that it is "continuing with eloquent silence of BJP and the Prime Minister."

"I think this has never happened before in India's polity and they attack the roots of democracy itself." he said. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat said sarcastically that "these kind of specialists" should remain only in Delhi. "I would urge them to spare Uttarakhand. We do not need such specialists.... Uttarakhand does not require such kind of advices. BJP can give them to states like Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and others ruled by them. They are most welcome to keep the 'Yogi' and 'Bhogis'. We do not need it. We are happy the way we are," he said.

Read: Now Yogi Adityanath says non-Hindus should be barred in Har Ki Pauri in Haridwar

Rawat also said that the answer to such comments is being given by the people of Uttarakhand and reminded that people of the state gave Congress a "huge mandate" to rule it. SP leader Gaurav Bhatia said that Yogi Adityanath has no idea about the Constituion of India and alleged that the BJP MP "violates" the oath he took after becoming a member of Parliament with "impunity" everyday. "Yogi Adityanath has got emboldended only because Modi is silent," he said.

Bhatia said that he wants to tell Modi that 'Mann ki Baat' is very fine "but when will you teach your own MPs the true meaning of the Constituion of India?" "The time has come, please rise from your slumber," he told the Prime Minister. The remarks by Congress and SP leaders came after the BJP MP had on Tuesday stoked another controversy, calling for barring non-Hindus in Har Ki Pauri, a famous ghat along the banks of the Ganga in Haridwar.