Mughal king Aurangzeb forced Kashmiri Pandits to change their religion: UP CM Yogi Adityanath

UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, while addressing a gathering of Banjaras in Lucknow, said Mughal emperor Aurangzeb “forced the Kashmiri Pandits to change their religion”, The Indian Express has reported.

Adityanath told the audience that when Aurangzeb started tormenting them, a group of Kashmiri Pandits came to Delhi to meet Guru Tegh Bahadur, the ninth Guru of the Sikhs. The group told the Guru that Aurangzeb was forcing them to convert to Islam and that they were being oppressed and humiliated at his behest. Guru Tegh Bahadur, in response, asked the Kashmiri Pandits to tell Aurangzeb that they will change their religion only when their guru accepts it.

Yogi Adityanath told the gathering that at that time, the Banjara community stood for the honour of their guru and they should be proud of their grit. He added that the Banjara community has contributed a lot to the country and society.

Earlier, the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh had said that Mughal emperor Akbar was not great. He said Rajput king Maharana Pratap was the only great king.