Only illiterate people, and no sons of big leaders or industrialists, go on Kanwar Yatra: SP MLA

Ballia: Samajwadi Party MLA from Sikandarpur constituency in Ballia district, Ziyauddin Rizvi, on Saturday said that only illiterate and superstitious people from villages embark on Kanwar Yatra and no family member of big leaders or industrialists undertakes it.

Responding to the comment, Minister of State for Transport (Independent Charge) Dayashankar Singh said that it is a matter of faith for devotees of Lord Shiv and no education is needed for it.

Speaking at a programme organised by the Samajwadi Party at district headquarters, Rizvi, a former cabinet minister in the earlier Akhilesh Yadav government, said, "Illiterate and superstitious people from villages go on Kanwar Yatra." "Flowers are being showered on Kanwar Yatris. Why do no son of an IAS officer or PCS officer, or the sons of Amit Shah, Anil Ambani or of any BJP MP or MLA go for the Kanwar Yatra?"

Rebutting the remarks, Dayashankar Singh, who is also the MLA from Ballia assembly constituency, said, "This is a matter of faith. Crores of people are devotees of Lord Shiv. There is no need for education to become a Lord Shiv devotee."

"People walk 120 kilometres to collect Ganga water and offer it to Lord Shiv. Lord Shiv is the God of all, and there is no need of education (to worship him)," Singh added.