Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath lauded his Maharashtra counterpart Devendra Fadnavis for apprehending suspected terrorists who were planning to disturb peace in the Kumbh Mela.
“If they (suspects) had managed to cross into the UP border, we would have eliminated them there and then,” Mr. Adityanath said, addressing a gathering of migrants from North India at the UP Divas here in the financial capital on Thursday.
The Maharashtra Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) had on Wednesday arrested eight and detained another youth from Mumbra and Aurangabad for alleged link with the Islamic State (IS). The Police had claimed the men were targeting the Kumbh Mela at Prayagraj and the Republic Day celebrations.
Mr. Adityanath said violence of any nature has come down (reduced) in the States ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), including UP and Maharashtra. He attributed it to the government’s stern retaliation to“such people”.
“We know how to retaliate and such people spreading violence must be dealt with sternly,” he told the gathering which included Mr. Fadnavis and UP Governor Ram Naik. “We respond to violence mongers in the language they understand,” the UP CM added.
Mr. Adityanath also targeted the Congress for being defensive on the Ram Mandir issue. “The ASI has in its report confirmed the presence of Ram Temple at the controversial site. The world knows this fact, but the Congress does not want to admit it,” he said.
