Yogi Hits Back at Claims of Kumbh on Waqf Land

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday said that those visiting the Maha Kumbh to claim the land the event was being held on will face "denting and painting" even as he welcomed all visitors "who respect Indian traditions".

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The chief minister, in an interview with a news channel days before the Maha Kumbh begins in Prayagraj on January 13, said that the Maha Kumbh, a once in 12 years affair, is a symbol of India's heritage which was mired in mismanagement under previous state governments.

"Anyone who respects Indian traditions and comes here for a holy dip in the Ganga... they are welcome to visit. But if they come here to claim this land as their own then they might have to suffer denting painting," the CM said.

"The Maha Kumbh is being organised in a sprawling area of over 10,000 acres, with designated pandals and separate parking facilities covering more than 5,000 acres," he said on reports of Waqf land being occupied for the Kumbh.

"Devotees from around the world are going to attend... if someone makes statements to disrespect it, claims that it is Waqf land, I want to ask them if this is Waqf board or a board of mafias. We will put an end to this," the BJP leader said, adding that the state government will reclaim every inch of land allegedly occupied under the pretext of Waqf.