VARANASI, July 19 -- Chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday emphasised that Indian tradition has never confined Hindu identity to temple visits or scriptural belief. "Both the believer and the non-believer are Hindus. Those who go to the temple and those who do not go are also Hindus," he said. The chief minister also said whenever there is any threat to Sanatan Dharma, the tribal society has always stood up to fight it. He hailed tribal communities as the foundation of Indian civilization. He made the remarks at the inauguration of a national seminar on the tribal icon Birsa Munda at Vasant Mahila Mahavidyalaya on the second day of his visit to Varanasi. "Charvak and Lord Buddha did not accept the Vedas, yet they are deeply respected in our tradition. Then, why question the identity of tribal communities in the context of Hinduism?" he asked. The chief minister also said the people who were making efforts to defame kanwar pilgrims and terming them as terrorists and rioters are the same who target the tribal society. "These are the same people who tried to separate the tribal community from India and worked to provoke them, conspiring at every level to make them fight against India. They are the ones that always insult the faith of India," he said. This, he asserted, stems from a mentality that wants to insult India's heritage. Adityanath also said that fake social media accounts were being run to spark caste tensions and alleged that those "always insulting the faith of India" were behind it. Recalling a specific incident, the chief minister said, "A few years ago there was a case of arson. I had said then that such an act didn't seem to be that of a particular community." He recalled that after ordering police to immediately control the situation, he directed that the "footage of the arson be examined." "The investigation later confirmed that the person involved was wearing a saffron scarf but was shouting 'Ya Allah'. These deceptive individuals must be exposed and excluded from society if we are to protect national unity," he said. Emphasising on social harmony, he said, "There is no discrimination of caste, religion or sect in the Kanwar Yatra. The Kanwar Yatra is going on with devotion, but some people call it unruly. These are the same forces which instigate the tribals. We have to be cautious of them." The Kanwar Yatra began on July 11 with the commencement of the Hindu holy month of Sawan. The chief minister said everyone from society, from the working classes to the upper classes, is associated with the yatra. "There is a wonderful confluence of unity. No discrimination. There is no distinction of caste, no distinction of region, no distinction of class, no difference of opinion, no difference of sect, they go chanting 'Har Har Bam Bam'. They walk 300-400 kilometres, then take water from there, put the kanwar on their shoulders and walk back in the same way with the same devotion," Adityanath said. Sounding a note of caution, he said, "But there is a media trial, they are defamed. A lot is written about them, they have the audacity to even call them (Kanwar pilgrims) rioters and terrorists. This is the mentality to insult the heritage of India in every way." In his address, the chief minister highlighted the tribal society's enduring role in defending the nation and safeguarding cultural values across eras. Referring to the Ramayana, he said, "When Lord Ram was in exile and Mother Sita was abducted, it was the tribal community that stood by him, despite the absence of Ayodhya's army. Similarly, Maharana Pratap reorganised his army in the forests of the Aravalli Range with the support of tribal groups and resisted Akbar. Chhatrapati Shivaji, too, relied on the Vanvasi (forest dwellers) society to lay the foundation of the Hindavi Swarajya." The chief minister hailed Birsa Munda as a key figure of India's national awakening, asserting that tribal communities have consistently played a vital role in protecting India's spiritual and cultural legacy. "While we often associate the struggle for independence with recent history, the tribal society has been fighting for Sanatan Dharma through every age," he said. Referring to a recent incident of Jaunpur, Adityanath said, "A towering Tazia was made forcefully by ignoring the safety rules, which came in contact with the high tension wire and three people died. Then the road was blocked. I instructed the police to take strict action. Such people will have to understand that it is important to maintain social harmony." Highlighting the legacy of the Vasant Mahila Mahavidyalaya, the chief minister noted that the campus embodies the spirit of ancient Gurukuls. He acknowledged the contributions of freedom movement icons like Annie Besant and institutions such as the Krishnamurti Foundation in preserving India's core civilizational values. The chief minister also lauded the work of Padma Shri Ashok Bhagat, who, under the guidance of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), has been serving tribal and underprivileged communities selflessly. Those present on the occasion included Ashok Bhagat, cabinet ministers Swatantra Dev Singh and Anil Rajbhar, minister of state Ravindra Jaiswal, Dayashankar Mishra Dayalu, MLAs Dr Neelkanth Tiwari, Dr Awadhesh Singh, Sushil Singh, MLC Hansraj Vishwakarma, Dharmendra Singh, District Panchayat president Poonam Maurya as well as SN Dubey, Alka Singh, Anjana Singh, Shankarpuri Maharaj, Santosh Acharya Maharaj, teachers and students of the college....