Roads for traffic not namaz; others should learn discipline from Hindus: Adityanath
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New Delhi (PTI): Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Adityanath has defended his administration's warning to Muslims against offering namaz on streets, saying roads are meant for the movement of traffic.
He also told Muslims to learn religious discipline from Hindus who took part in the massive Maha Kumbh mela without any incident of crime, destruction, or harassment.
In an interview to PTI, Adityanath slammed critics of the Waqf (Amendment) Bill.
He said Waqf boards have become a den of selfish interests as well as "loot khasot" (property grabbing), and have done little for the welfare of Muslims.
He said, "It (Waqf) has become a medium to capture any government property. This reform is the need of the hour, and all reforms draw opposition. I believe Muslims will benefit from this (proposed law)."
The monk-politician, who has emerged as one of the more popular BJP leaders due to his unapologetic hardline Hindutva views and image of a tough administrator against criminals, rejected criticism of any discrimination against Muslims.
Muslims are 20 percent of the state's population but their share is 35-40 percent among the beneficiaries of government welfare schemes, he said, asserting that he does not believe either in discrimination or in appeasement.
"We always keep ourself away from appeasement. Any needy who is a citizen of India should get every benefit of the government," he said.
With his "bulldozer model" now adopted by other states too as a show of quick justice despite frequent questions over its legality, Adityanath told PTI that he did not consider the popular practice as an achievement but a necessity.
The bulldozer can be used to create infrastructure and remove encroachments as well, he said. "It seems to me that we have shown how it can be used in a better way."
He claimed that none of the adverse Supreme Court observations against bulldozer action relates to his state, adding the apex court has in fact appreciated the guidelines adopted by Uttar Pradesh.
Asked about the row over the warning by his administration in Meerut against offering namaz on roads, he staunchly defended the government move saying there was nothing wrong in it.
"Roads are meant for walking. And those who are speaking (against the decision) should learn discipline from Hindus. Sixty-six crore people arrived in Prayagraj. There was no robbery, destruction of property, arson, abduction … This is called religious discipline. If you want benefits, you should also follow discipline.”
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Slain Australia beach shooting suspect native of Hyderabad: T'gana police
Hyderabad/Melbourne (PTI): Sajid Akram, the 50-year-old slain suspect in a mass shooting at a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach in Australia, was an Indian citizen hailing from Hyderabad, Telangana Police revealed on Tuesday.
While he had migrated to Australia 27 years ago, Akram carried an Indian passport. Akram, along with his 24-year-old son Naveed Akram, recently travelled to the Philippines on an Indian passport.
Akram, one of the two suspects in the mass shooting that has left 15 people dead and dozens injured, migrated to Australia in 1998 and had limited contact with his family here since then, the Telangana DGP's office said in a statement.
"Sajid Akram (50) is originally from Hyderabad, India. He completed his B.Com degree in Hyderabad and migrated to Australia in search of employment, approximately 27 years ago, in November 1998," it said.
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He married a European-origin woman before settling permanently in Australia. The couple have one son, Naveed (the second suspect who is in custody at a hospital in Australia) and one daughter, it said.
Naveed and Akram's daughter were born in Australia and are citizens of that country, the statement said.
On Tuesday, Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett described the mass shooting as "a terrorist attack inspired by the Islamic State."
According to Australian authorities, the suspects were a father and son, aged 50 and 24. The older man, who was identified as Sajid Akram, was shot dead.
The Telangana police said Akram visited India on six occasions after migrating to Australia, primarily for family-related reasons such as property matters and to meet his elderly parents.
It is understood that he did not travel to India even at the time of his father's demise, the statement said.
The family members have further expressed no knowledge of his radical mindset or activities, nor of the circumstances that led to his radicalisation, police said.
"The factors that led to the radicalisation of Sajid Akram and his son, Naveed, appear to have no connection with India or any local influence in Telangana," Telangana police said.
Telangana Police further said it has no adverse record against Akram during his stay in India before his departure in 1998.
The state police said it remains committed to cooperating with central agencies and other counterparts, as and when required, and urged the public and media to avoid speculation or attribution without verified facts.
Quoting security sources, Australia's ABC News reported that Akram and Naveed travelled to the Philippines to receive "military-style training".
"Investigators are now examining the Akrams' ties to an international jihadist network, after discovering the pair travelled to Manila in early November," it said, quoting officials briefed on the investigation.
The Philippines Bureau of Immigration confirmed the pair arrived in the Philippines from Australia on November 1, declaring the southern city of Davao - a hotbed for Islamic militants since the 1990s - as their destination, it said.
"They left the country on November 28, 2025, on a connecting flight from Davao to Manila, with Sydney as their final destination," ABC News quoted the Philippines' Bureau of Immigration spokesperson Dana Sandoval as saying.
Sandoval said Akram entered the country on an Indian passport, while his son, Naveed, entered on an Australian passport.
In the Philippines, Undersecretary of the Presidential Communications Office and Press Officer for Malacanang Palace Claire Castro said that the National Security Council (NSC) is currently looking into reports that the father and son duo travelled to the country a month before the attack.
