Prashant Kumar, ADG (Meerut Zone), whose viral video where he is seen showering petals on kanwariyas, on Thursday defended his stance, saying that ‘no religious angle should be brought to this.’
“No religious angle should be given to this. Flowers are used to welcome people. Administration respects all religions and actively takes part, even in Gurupurab, Eid, and Jain festivals,” he told ANI.
The video shows Kumar hovering in an aircraft and throwing petals. Along with him, Meerut Commissioner Anita Meshram and other senior officials also showered rose petals on Kanwariyas from the helicopter yesterday.
The news has drawn a number of reactions, given that earlier, a group of 'Kanwariyas' resorted to violence in West Delhi's Moti Nagar area after one of them was hit by a car, a video of a top ranking Uttar Pradesh Police official showering rose petals on the Kanwariyas has now come to fore. In another incident, Kanwariyas were caught vandalising police vehicle after an altercation with locals in Bulandshahr on 7th August, police have registered a case.
Interestingly, UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had earlier conducted an aerial survey of the Kanwar Yatra route during the first half of the Shrawan month that began on July 28.
The saint-politician also reportedly showered flower petals from his chopper on the Kanwarias, who responded by prostrating on the highway as the chopper passed through them.
Owners of liquor vends along the route of the Kanwar Yatra have been ordered to keep their shops closed today. District Magistrate Ritu Maheshwari issued the orders to all liquor vend owners to keep their stores, along the Kanwar Yatra route, shut till the yatra ends, Assistant District Information Officer (ADIO) Ranjana Sharma said. The route on which this order will be enforced is from Kadrabad (Modinagar) Chungi to Sihani Chungi, up till the Delhi-UP border, the ADIO added.
With PTI Inputs
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 "The Meerut Zone cops were seen showering petals on the pilgrims")
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