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Bastar (Chhattisgarh) [India], May 19 (ANI): Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday attended the 26th meeting of the Central Zonal Council in Chhattisgarh's Bastar region.
The high-profile meeting was chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah and served as a critical platform to deliberate on various regional-level issues of common interest, aiming to foster deeper inter-state collaboration and strengthen the framework of cooperative federalism.
Reinforcing the framework of cooperative federalism, the Chief Ministers of Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Uttar Pradesh converged in the historic Bastar region to participate in the meeting.
Underscoring the high strategic importance of the council meeting, the session was attended by top-tier central officials, including Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan and Intelligence Bureau (IB) Director Tapan Deka. Their presence facilitated a comprehensive review of regional security frameworks, left-wing extremism mitigation, and national-state intelligence sharing protocols alongside the ongoing development agendas.
Senior officers from the member states, including Chief Secretaries and Directors General of Police (DGPs), were also part of the extensive deliberations to ensure seamless coordination between the state and central administrative machinery.
Earlier on Monday, CM Yogi said that people must offer namaz in a regulated manner and that it can be performed in shifts if required, adding that the administration would seek compliance through persuasion, and if that does not work, other methods would be adopted to ensure adherence to public order norms.
In a post shared on X, CM Yogi said, "You have to offer namaz, you can read it during your shift. We'll get you to agree with love, if you don't agree, we'll adopt another method."
In a video from a public gathering in Lucknow, he further added that arrangements can be made in shifts if required, but public inconvenience cannot be allowed.
"Some people told me, 'How will it work, our numbers are large?' We replied that it can be done in shifts. If there is no space at home, then manage the numbers accordingly. Unnecessary crowding should not be increased," the Chief Minister said.
CM Yogi further said that the rule of law applies equally to all citizens and that public spaces cannot be misused.
"The rule of the government is the rule of the law. It applies equally to everyone. Namaz is necessary--you can read it during your shift. We will not stop it, but not on the road," he said. (ANI)