Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday warned people to stay alert against attempts to create divisions between Hindus and Sikhs, urging communities to remain vigilant in the face of conspiracies aimed at disturbing social harmony.
Speaking at the flagging-off ceremony of the UP-Delhi Sandesh Yatra, organised to mark the 350th martyrdom day of Guru Teg Bahadur, Adityanath claimed that certain forces were deliberately trying to change the nature of the country in a planned manner by encouraging religious conversions and sowing discord.
The chief minister said that the now-jailed Chhangur Baba of Balrampur district had allegedly set fixed rates for converting people of different castes and faiths, resulting in transactions amounting to more than Rs 100 crore.
“He had fixed rates for converting Hindus, Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Sikhs, other OBC castes, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. Money was coming in from abroad. Just think, transactions worth more than Rs 100 crore have been found in his 40 accounts so far,” Adityanath said.
He added that a team had been sent to Balrampur to facilitate ‘ghar wapsi’ — encouraging those who had converted to return to their original faith.
Adityanath noted that some cases of conversion have also surfaced in Pilibhit district and advised people to be “a little cautious” about such activities.
“You must have seen what kind of conspiracy is going on. We have recently taken big action in Balrampur,” he said, claiming foreign funding was at the centre of this racket.
The Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad on 6 July arrested Jalaluddin alias Chhangur Baba and Neetu alias Nasreen, both residents of Madhpur in Balrampur, on charges of running a massive conversion racket.
The Enforcement Directorate later stated that it had traced transactions worth about Rs 106 crore, largely sourced from the Middle East, spread across 40 bank accounts linked to Chhangur Baba and his network.
The chief minister, who hosted the yatris at his official residence in Lucknow, said the Sandesh Yatra would travel from Lucknow to the Sheeshganj Gurudwara in Chandni Chowk, Delhi.
Paying tribute to Sikh gurus, Adityanath praised Guru Teg Bahadur for his sacrifice in resisting religious persecution.
He invoked the historical atrocities committed during Mughal emperor Aurangzeb’s rule, saying, “What a time it must have been when there was a cruel and brutal ruler like Aurangzeb. At that time, news of atrocities came from not just one place but from everywhere.”
Referring to the Mughal emperor’s campaign of Islamisation, he said, “The ruler started a massive campaign of Islamisation, which was challenged by Guru Teg Bahadur Ji Maharaj. And what atrocities were not committed on him?”
Adityanath urged the people to remember the sacrifices of the Sikh gurus and stay alert to any conspiracy aimed at creating divisions.
“Remember that many people will try to create divisions between Hindus and Sikhs. There is a conspiracy to divide us and weaken us. Who will save us from this? We will have to be cautious,” he said.
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