Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has warned against the offering of namaz on roads while asserting that such religious practices should be conducted in shifts at designated places of worship.Speaking at an event organised by a Hindi newspaper here, Adityanath stressed that blocking traffic to offer namaz or any other religious practice will not be allowed by his government."After all, roads are meant for commuting, not to create a 'tamasha' (scene). What right does anyone have to block a road? Let them go and offer prayers at their designated places of worship," he said.The chief minister's remarks come days ahead of Eid-ul-Adha, which will be observed on 28 May across India.A special congregational prayer is held on Eid mornings, often drawing such large crowds that mosques overflow, with many devotees spilling onto nearby roads and open spaces to participate in the prayers.Adityanath said he had reminded the community to offer prayers in shifts."If you lack the space to accommodate everyone in your homes, then you must exercise control over your numbers (population)," he said.Must abide by rules: Yogi Adityanath"Furthermore, if you wish to coexist within this system, you must abide by its rules and laws. The rule of law shall prevail. If offering namaz is essential to you, then do so in shifts. We will not stop you from praying. However, it will not be permitted on the streets," he added.Adityanath warned that his government has made it clear to every citizen of the state that such disruptions on roads will not be tolerated anymore."We will not allow anarchy to spread on the streets. If you comply peacefully, it is well and good. If you don't, we will take other methods. Our primary objective is to engage in dialogue. If you listen to us, excellent. If not, be prepared to face the consequences of confrontation," he said."In Bareilly, some individuals attempted to test our resolve, and they certainly witnessed the extent of our power," he said.The chief minister said that his government has adopted a positive approach towards governance and has worked without any discrimination on the basis of caste, region, language, or religion."We have said that the entire population of the state, every single resident, is part of our family. We have to work with the aim of holistic development," Adityanath said.Reacting to the chief minister's statement, Samajwadi Party spokesperson Fakhrul Hasan Chaand said the Constitution gives religious freedom to everyone."Elections are coming up in Uttar Pradesh next year. And whenever elections draw near, the BJP's lens becomes religiously tinted," he said.Chaand said the chief minister's statements are to distract people from core issues, such as aspirant teachers not getting jobs, unemployment, inflation, and problems faced by youths and farmers.What right does anyone have to block a road?"The Samajwadi Party is ready. The PDA (Picchde, Dalit, Alpsankhyak, or Backwards, Dalits and Minorities) are ready to take on the BJP and its divisive and hateful politics. Neither Samajwadi Party nor any other opposition party will allow the negative politics of the BJP to dominate the discourse," he told PTI Videos.(With PTI inputs)About the AuthorLivemintFor about a decade, Livemint—News Desk has been a credible source for authentic and timely news, and well-researched analysis on national news, business, personal finance, corporates, politics and geopolitics. We bring the latest updates on all the listed companies on BSE and NSE, startups, mutual funds, Union ministries, geopolitics, and untapped human interest stories from around the world, helping our readers to stay informed on the latest developments around the globe. Our Coverage Areas 1. Companies: Comprehensive news and analysis on listed and unlisted companies, corporate announcements, corporate chatter, C-suite, business trends, hiring alerts, layoffs, work-life balance, world's top billionaires and richest and more. 2. Personal finance
Days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's clarion call, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday ordered that the number of vehicles accompanying the chief minister and state ministers be cut by 50% with immediate effect. He also urged residents to conserve fuel and refrain from making non-essential purchases of gold in light of the current global situation as West Asia crisis continues.During a meeting attended by the chief secretary, the director general of police and senior bureaucrats from various departments, Adityanath called on people across UP to put PM Modi’s appeal for austerity into practice.The chief minister proposed that ministers, MPs, MLAs and other public representatives travel by public transport at least once a week and observe a weekly “No Vehicle Day".People also askAI powered insights from this story•5 QUESTIONSYogi Adityanath ordered a 50% cut in ministers' convoys to encourage fuel conservation and austerity in light of the ongoing West Asia crisis and global instability, following Prime Minister Modi's appeal.Proposed measures include cutting ministerial convoys by 50%, encouraging ministers and public representatives to use public transport weekly, promoting 'No Vehicle Day', and suggesting work-from-home arrangements for government employees and in industries.Individuals can contribute by conserving fuel, postponing non-essential gold purchases and foreign travel, using public transport, carpooling, adopting electric vehicles, and resuming work-from-home or virtual meetings where possible.The call for austerity is a response to the West Asia crisis, which is causing disruptions in global supply chains, elevated oil prices, and potential strain on India's inflation, current account, and currency.Citizens have also been advised to save electricity, avoid unnecessary decorative lighting, reduce consumption of edible oil for health and import reduction, and support locally produced goods instead of imported items.He said government employees, students and people from all sections of society should also be encouraged to participate in the initiative.He stated, “The world is witnessing instability and everyone must exercise caution", adding, ”Ministers, MPs, MLAs and public representatives should use public transport at least one day a week. A 'No Vehicle Day' should also be organized once every week. Government employees, students of schools and colleges, and various sections of society should also be associated with this campaign."‘Office timings maybe divided to reduce fuel consumption during peak hours’The chief minister instructed the industrial development department and industry associations to promote work-from-home arrangements in industries and startups, and to issue advisories recommending two days of remote work in organisations with large workforces.He also ordered that half of all internal meetings in the state secretariat and directorates be conducted online. Schools and colleges were asked to encourage students to use school buses, while buses operated by the state transport corporation could be deployed to support educational institutions if needed.To ease fuel consumption during peak hours, Adityanath proposed staggered office timings across different groups of employees. He further emphasised the adoption of cycling, carpooling and electric vehicles, and directed officials to expand public transport services on routes with heavy demand.“In workplaces with a large workforce, a state-level advisory should be issued recommending work-from-home for two days a week. Seminars, meetings and workshops of the Education Department, along with other official meetings, should also be conducted virtually. Fifty percent of internal meetings at the State Secretariat and Directorates should also be held virtually,” Adityanath mentioned.The Chief Minister said, "Schools and colleges should encourage the use of school buses, and if required, Transport Corporation buses may also be linked wi
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