Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday said that supporting or “glorifying invaders” who attacked India’s cultural heritage and people would be considered an act of “treason.”
His statement comes in the wake of the ongoing controversy over the removal of the tomb of the Mughal tyrant Aurangzeb in Maharashtra’s Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and the decision to abolish the Neja Mela, which was traditionally held in honour of Masud Ghazi, the nephew of invader Mahmud Ghaznavi.
Addressing the public at an event in Bahraich, CM Yogi asserted that every Indian citizen should respect the great personalities of the nation and should not glorify invaders.
“Every citizen of India should have a deep sense of respect for the great men of our nation, and under no circumstances should any invader be glorified.”
“Glorifying an invader means strengthening the roots of treason. An independent India can never accept any traitor who insults our great men while praising those who tried to crush India’s Sanatan culture, dishonoured our daughters, and attacked our faith. This new India will never tolerate this,” CM Yogi said.
Glorifying invaders like Aurangzeb is an act of treason.
Desh drohi hai. Such traitors won’t be accepted in New India.-UP CM Yogi ji 🔥🔥😎 #NagpurViolence pic.twitter.com/pqTC1k7ym9
— Stranger (@amarDgreat) March 20, 2025
The Chief Minister also praised Maharaja Suhel Dev, the king of Shravasti, who is renowned for defeating and killing the Ghaznavid general Ghazi Miyan at Bahraich in 1034.
“This is the same historic land where Maharaja Suhel Dev played a crucial role in upholding India’s victory by defeating a foreign invader. His bravery and valour were so remarkable that for the next 150 years, no foreign invader dared to attack India,” he added.
CM Yogi’s remarks follow large-scale violence in Maharashtra’s Nagpur on March 17, where at least 30 people, including police and fire brigade personnel, were injured in arson, vandalism, and stone-pelting.
The violence erupted as members of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal intensified their demand for the removal of the tomb of Aurangzeb in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.
Meanwhile, the traditional Neja Mela in Sambhal, which was held every year, was not organised this time.
The administration stated that the festival was based on a “wrong tradition” and should be discontinued. Officials clarified that they would not allow events commemorating figures associated with invasions and destruction.
