Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday launched a sharp attack on Congress and Samajwadi Party (SP) with the accusation that the parties doubt the authenticity of Lord Ram and alleged that those now speaking about faith had attempted to offer namaz on the steps of Ayodhya’s Hanuman Garhi.
The attack was launched at a public event in Ayodhya, where Yogi Adityanath said, “For a long time, Ayodhya was ignored. Those who talk about devotion today had organized the offering of namaz on the steps of Hanuman Garhi. Will Congress or the Samajwadi Party ever be able to organize a Hanuman Chalisa ‘paath’ in Jama Masjid? So, why did they commit this sin?”
Imperatively, the remarks follow the allegation of the BJP that during the Mulayam Singh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party government in 2003, it attempted to organize Ramazan prayers and an iftar near Ayodhya’s Hanumangarhi temple.
In addition to this, former Uttar Pradesh DGP and BJP MP Brij Lal has previously said that the Ramazan prayers and an iftar could not take place because of the intervention of police and denied permission for the proposed namaz.
To further escalate the criticism, the chief minister claimed that opposition parties had consistently opposed Ayodhya’s development and projects, which once now stand as reality rather than projects.
The chief minister highlighted that no one deciphered that Ayodhya would have an international airport, but today, the idea, which was once mocked by the Samajwadi Party, is the reality of Ayodhya, with an international airport. He further alleged that the Samajhwadi party is not jubilant with the name because it needs to be named after Maharishi Valmiki.
Controversies also erupted in early July following discrepancies that were allegedly uncovered in the counting of donations received at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. Following the temple trust’s recommendation, the Uttar Pradesh government constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the alleged financial irregularities. The investigation revealed that the SIT found prima facie evidence that suggests misappropriation of funds, resulting in the registration of an FIR and, furthermore, arresting at least eight individuals.
