LUCKNOW, July 8 -- State cabinet minister Swatantra Dev Singh on Tuesday alleged that Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav is politicising matters of faith through his recent remarks on the Kanwar Yatra.

He said those who had once ordered firing on Ram devotees were now trying to appear concerned about the welfare of pilgrims. "During the Samajwadi Party's regime, the sanctity of the yatra was not respected, and security arrangements were lacking," Singh claimed.

According to him, the current government under chief minister Yogi Adityanath is overseeing preparations at every level, from aerial surveys to ensuring cleanliness, medical services, and traffic management. "Liquor and meat shops are being shut along the Yatra route, and e...