Kanwar Yatra 2021: Uttarakhand Calls It Off, Uttar Pradesh Says It Will Go On With Covid-19 Protocols

Uttarakhand government on July 13 suspended the Kanwar yatra. This comes even as Uttar Pradesh is going ahead with the annual ritual. This yearly yatra sees a heavy movement of pilgrims across states in the northern belt. At a meeting on July 13 with top officials of the administration & police, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami discussed apprehensions of a possible third wave. He also discussed about the recent detection of the Delta Plus variant in the state. Reportedly, the government also sought the view of experts before arriving at the decision to cancel the entire yatra altogether.

Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has said that only a minimum number of people should participate in the annual yatra. He also directed strict implementation of the Covid-19 protocol, an official spokesperson said on July 13 to The Indian Express. The state government, which has allowed the annual yatra from July 25, said a negative RT-PCR test report can be made compulsory for pilgrims, incase the need arises.