Digvijaya Singh’s ‘Hate’ Remark Over Kanwar Yatra Triggers Political Backlash

Indian politics descended into a war of words on 2 July after senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh said the Kanwar Yatra, an annual Hindu pilgrimage that begins later this month, is being used by the government “to create an atmosphere of hatred.” Singh added that while the religious event itself is unobjectionable, recent processions have allegedly been infiltrated by vandals and misused for communal polarisation. The Bharatiya Janata Party dismissed the accusation, calling Congress “anti-Hindu” and asserting that any unrest linked to the yatra is dealt with under existing law-and-order mechanisms. BJP spokespersons Vinod Bansal and Kaushal Kant Mishra argued that Singh’s remarks insult Hindu traditions and are intended to divide the community ahead of state elections. Samajwadi Party parliamentarian S.T. Hasan echoed Singh’s concerns, drawing a controversial parallel between potential violence during the yatra and past terror attacks, while other opposition figures accused the ruling party of exploiting religion for political gain. BJP leaders countered that previous administrations handled communal violence poorly and said Uttar Pradesh’s current government has taken a tough stance against any procession that violates regulations. The exchange underscores the heightened sensitivity surrounding the Kanwar Yatra, in which millions of Shiva devotees carry holy water from the Ganges. Security arrangements and political messaging around the pilgrimage are expected to remain under close scrutiny as the yatra gets underway.