StatesUttar Pradesh
Yogi spends Diwali morning with Nishad community in Ayodhya after prayers to Ramlala
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath handed out sweets and gifts in the Nishad settlement on Sunday and said no one would fire bullets at Ram devotees in the city again.
Key points
- Yogi Adityanath worshipped Ramlala and then visited the Nishad settlement in Ayodhya on Diwali.
- He said bullets will no longer be fired at Ram devotees in Ayodhya.
- He handed out sweets and gifts to residents and children and took selfies with them.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath marked Diwali on Sunday with the Nishad community in Ayodhya, after offering prayers to Ramlala and posting a festival message on X.
In the Nishad settlement he spoke to residents and children, took selfies with them and handed out sweets and Diwali gifts. The community is traditionally linked to Kevat, the boatman in the Ramayana who ferried Rama, Sita and Lakshmana across the Ganga.
“Bullets will no longer be fired”
Addressing the gathering, Adityanath urged a firm resolve to protect the city. “No malevolent gaze, no ‘Manthra’ or ‘Maricha’, ever falls upon our Ayodhya,” he said. He added: “From now on, bullets will no longer be fired at the devotees of Lord Ram in Ayodhya.” He went on to say: “No one will be able to wield sticks or batons against those who chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’ in Ayodhya.”
His X post called Diwali “a grand celebration of the eternal consciousness of Sanatan culture.”
After Deepotsav
The visit came a day after the 10th Deepotsav on the Saryu, where more than 30 lakh diyas were lit across 56 ghats and Adityanath performed the Maha Aarti with Vice-President C P Radhakrishnan. On Saturday he also took aim at political rivals from the stage.
Delhi Minister Ashish Sood, in a separate remark, described Kevat’s story as an example of devotion and surrender in Indian culture, in a nod to the Nishad link.