Lucknow,

18 May (HS): Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that offering namaz on the

street is not permitted. If you want to live with the system, then start

following the rules and regulations. If you want to offer namaz, do so in

shifts; we will not stop you. Chief Minister Yogi was addressing a Hindi daily

newspaper event here on Monday organized to mark its foundation day. He said,

People ask, 'Are namaz really not offered on the streets in your state of

Uttar Pradesh?' I say, 'Absolutely not.' You should go and see, it's not. Are

roads for walking, or will anyone come to an intersection and create a scene?

What right does he have to block the road, disrupt traffic? Go and pray where

it's meant to be.

Yogi

said, People asked me, 'How will it be done, our numbers are large?' I

said, 'Do it in shifts. If there's no space at home, control the numbers. If

you can't afford it, why are you increasing the numbers?' If you want to live

with the system, then start following the rules and regulations. If you want to

offer namaz, pray in shifts. We won't stop you, but not on the streets.

Ordinary citizens, sick people, laborers, and employees all walk on the

streets; we won't allow them to block the roads. If they agree with us, that's

fine; if they don't, we'll try another method. If they agree through

dialogue, fine, or else we'll see through conflict. The people of Bareilly have

tried their hand and seen the government's power. The government wants to integrate

the entire system with every system.

Referring

to the changed picture of Uttar Pradesh, Yogi said that under previous

governments, this state was known for pistols and bombs, riots and mafia

culture, whereas today UP is recognized for BrahMos missiles, defense

corridors, expressways, international airports and investment destinations.

Thanks to law and order, infrastructure and positive governance, the state has

moved from the bottom-2 to the top-2 states. There is zero tolerance for

anarchy and chaos in the state. Anyone who molests a girl on the road will meet

the same fate as Ravana and Duryodhana.

Sensationalism

and fake news create chaos in society: Regarding current journalism, the Chief

Minister stated that sensationalism and fake news spread anarchy in society,

while positive and sensitive journalism strengthens democracy. He noted that

Bharatendu Harishchandra elevated Hindi journalism to new heights. Lokmanya Bal

Gangadhar Tilak's writings shaped the freedom movement. Mahatma Gandhi, the

Father of the Nation, made journalism the foundation of the movement. In

Kanpur, Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi worked to establish journalism as the

foundation of the nation's independence and social justice. When attempts were

made to strangle democracy in 1975, eminent editors and reporters thwarted

them. In democracy, not just the legislature, judiciary, or executive, the

media also plays a powerful role. Today, the threat of deep fakes or fake news

looms everywhere.

The

Chief Minister said that if reporting had been made sensitive instead of being

based on sensationalism, law and order problems would not have arisen in many

places. Sensational news may bring immediate benefits to a reporter, newspaper

or media group, but when the same news turns out to be fake, they have to stand

in the dock. We remain alert for this too. Because once a fire is ignited by

any false news, it takes time to extinguish it. We do not want an atmosphere of

riots and curfew to arise again in Uttar Pradesh. No one is allowed to spread

anarchy in Uttar Pradesh.

Hindusthan Samachar / Abhishek Awasthi