When Aurangzeb sought to suppress Sanatan Dharma, Guru Tagh Bahadur stood firm: Yogi 

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday bowed to the legacy and sacrifices of Sikh Gurus and warned against “attempts to divide the Hindus and Sikhs."

Addressing the flagging-off ceremony of the Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Sandesh Yatra, held at his official residence and dedicated to the 350th Shaheedi Varsh of Guru Tegh Bahadur, Yogi stressed the need to preserve the legacy of sacrifice set by Sikh Gurus.

“Conspiracies to divide Hindus and Sikhs have been attempted before and will continue to surface, but we must remain vigilant and united,” he said, adding that the Shaheedi Diwas inspired people to carry forward the Gurus’ legacy and adapt it to modern-day strategies to ensure no community or individual is ever forced to abandon their culture or religion.

On the occasion, the CM said the Yatra was a powerful reminder of the oppressive era under Aurangzeb’s rule.

“Mughal ruler Aurangzeb sought to suppress Sanatan Dharma and impose Islamic dominance. In the face of this tyranny, Guru Tegh Bahadur chose martyrdom over compromise, standing firm on the path of righteousness,” the Chief Minister remarked.

The CM also warned against illegal religious conversions calling the trend a calculated conspiracy to undermine the nation’s identity and social fabric.

He said the Uttar Pradesh government would not tolerate such conversions.

“Some forces are deliberately trying to alter the fundamental character of the country through unlawful conversions. This is an attack on social cohesion and cannot be tolerated under any circumstances,” said the Chief Minister underlining that marginalised communities, particularly Scheduled Castes, were being lured or coerced into changing their religion.

He highlighted the recent Balrampur case, where a large-scale illegal conversion racket backed by foreign funding was unearthed and revealed that over Rs 100 crore was found transacted across 40 accounts, with pre-determined “rates” for conversion.

The CM termed this as a grave threat to both economic and social security.

The Yatra, which commenced from Lucknow, will pass through Kanpur, Etawah, and Agra before culminating at Chandni Chowk and the historic Sis Ganj Gurudwara in Delhi—the site of Guru Tegh Bahadur’s martyrdom.

A commemorative memento was also presented to the Chief Minister to mark the occasion.

Uttar Pradesh