At a teachers' programme in Bareilly, Yogi Adityanath said rioters in Uttar Pradesh can lose even ancestral property. He paired the warning with claims of stronger law and order, cheating-free exams and criticism of the Samajwadi Party.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. (PTI/File)
Bareilly, UP,Oct 13, 2026 23:24 IST
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday said people involved in riots in the state now know they could lose even their ancestral property, and claimed that in Bareilly, those who once sparked trouble during festivals are now 'observing Urs inside the jail'. He made the remarks while addressing a teachers' programme in Bareilly.
At the event, Adityanath also spoke about the importance of education, said Uttar Pradesh would continue to conduct 'cheating-free' examinations, and attacked the Samajwadi Party over its record on education, law and order, and links with criminals.
Referring to the festive season, Adityanath said, "Sharadiya Navratri is underway. Before 2017, whenever a festival was around, riots would certainly have broken out in Bareilly".
"But now, rioters are observing Urs inside the jail. Now, if anyone engages in riots, what is the price they pay? They will lose even their ancestral wealth. Uttar Pradesh is now defined by festivals, not nuisances".
In an apparent reference to Ittehad-e-Millat Council founder Maulana Tauqeer Raza, he made the remarks as Raza is in jail in connection with violence that broke out during a rally in Bareilly last September.
According to police, Raza had called on Muslims to gather at Islamiya Inter College after Friday prayers on September 26, 2025, to protest against the denial of permission for a rally in support of the 'I Love Mohammed' campaign.
Police said that despite prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita, a large crowd moved from Maulana Azad Inter College to Shyamganj Chauraha with placards and raised 'provocative slogans'. When the police tried to stop the rally, the crowd turned violent.
Adityanath said Bareilly, once associated with 'jhumka', is now known as 'Nath Nagari' and has regained its 'mythological identity'. He also referred to Sambhal, which saw communally charged violence over a mosque survey in 2024, and said the situation there had changed.
"Sambhal, where people once feared to visit, is now bustling with activity. Fear and terror are no longer present there. Those who used to terrorise others are now themselves terrified. There are many mafia who wet their pants when they see the vehicle of the Uttar Pradesh Police," he said.
On education, the chief minister said the identity of any society, state or country rests on its education system. He said Uttar Pradesh had once led the country in education, but things changed after Independence.
"After Independence, education somehow got removed from the government's agenda; it was ignored. This adversely affected the state's economy and law and order. By 2017, Uttar Pradesh was facing a crisis of identity," he said.
Reasserting his government's stand on examinations, Adityanath said he remained committed to conducting 'cheating-free' exams in the state.
"If the youth becomes capable, the first credit goes to the teacher. Our teachers are not government employees; they are "rashtra nirmata" and "yug nirmata",' he said. Referring to former president APJ Abdul Kalam, he added, 'Even after becoming the President, he used to present himself as a teacher.'
The BJP leader also targeted the Samajwadi Party, recalling an instance involving a former secondary education minister in the Akhilesh Yadav government.
He said that when the minister was asked to speak on revolutionary Ram Prasad Bismil on his death anniversary, he thanked the organisers for inviting him to the birthday celebrations of shehnai maestro Ustad Bismillah Khan.
"This was the mindset of the Samajwadi Party,' Adityanath said. 'Those who have absolutely no connection to education. What can you possibly discuss with them? The Samajwadi Party has absolutely no connection with education," he added.
He further said, "They never invited the poor or farmers to the chief minister's residence. They never respected teachers. Whom did they invite to the chief minister's residence? Gangsters, rioters, tyrants, and extortionists.
That is why, when the government acts today and runs campaigns to rid the state of the mafia, the Samajwadi Party feels the most pain". He added, "Not for the poor, not for farmers, not for labourers, their compassion is reserved for the mafia and criminals".
In his address, Adityanath combined his government's claims on law and order with its focus on education, saying the state had moved away from riots and fear and was working towards stronger teaching standards and fair examinations.
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