New Delhi: Uttar Pradesh Minister Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary said that Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav should definitely visit Ram Mandir and seek Lord Ram’s blessings.
Speaking to IANS, Chaudhary said, “Akhilesh Yadav should definitely come to Ayodhya; Hanuman Garhi and the Ram Mandir are near. He should come. There is pain and regret in his heart after witnessing the growth and development of Ayodhya despite his wishes. Ram Mandir is the symbol of crores of Hindus’ faith and devotion so he should definitely come. After all, development has happened, and Akhilesh Yadav can see it.”
Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav’s scheduled visit to Ayodhya has drawn calls from several political leaders, urging him to visit the Ram Temple and seek the blessings of Lord Ram.
SP leader Rajeev Rai said, “Lord Ram first defeated Akhilesh Yadav in Lok Sabha elections, and then he (Lord Ram) guided Akhilesh ji to see the theft that is going on in Ram Mandir. Probably Lord Ram wants the sinners to be removed, and that’s why Akhilesh Yadav might be going there. What is the issue in that?”
Meanwhile, Union Minister SP Singh Baghel said, “In a democracy, everyone has the right to go wherever they want. Going to Ayodhya is their right. He can visit the temple for any political or societal reason. Whether they visit the temple or not it is their own decision.”
“If they cannot go to the temple for the appeasement of a certain vote bank or the satisfaction of the Muslims, if he doesn’t go to the temple owing to polarisation, then it is wrong,” he added.
“India is a secular nation, and it doesn’t ban anyone from going to any religious place, but if you have been avoiding a certain place of worship to appease a certain someone, then it is wrong,” Baghel said.
Uttar Pradesh Minister Sanjay Nishad said, “Look, I welcome him (Akhilesh Yadav) to Ayodhya, even if it is late. He should also visit the Ram Temple for darshan because there is also a statue of Nishad Raj alongside Lord Ram. He should visit the temple and apologise for his past mistakes. A person can make mistakes, but we should apologise for our mistakes as well.”
BJP national spokesperson Ajay Alok said, “Great, Ram Lalla’s site will be wonderful! He should go and fall at Ram Lalla’s feet, ask for forgiveness, and say, ‘My father made a huge mistake by ordering fire on the kar sevaks. I haven’t come here all this while because I was also wrong. Please forgive me.’ We hope Ram Lalla will forgive him.”
Akhilesh Yadav is scheduled to visit Ayodhya on October 8 to attend the concluding session of the Shrimad Bhagwat Katha, a week-long religious programme organised by former MLA and SP leader Tej Narayan Pandey.
The SP Chief is expected to spend around an hour at the programme in Krishnaapur-Khanpur Rasoolabad. He is also expected to offer prayers and interact with devotees attending the gathering.
Akhilesh Yadav’s Ayodhya visit comes at a politically significant time for the SP, with political activity beginning to gather pace ahead of the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.
The party has earlier announced Tej Narayan Pandey, popularly known as Pawan Pandey, as its candidate from the Ayodhya Assembly constituency for the 2027 Uttar Pradesh polls.
(IANS)
