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Taking a swipe at Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav over his proposed visit to Ayodhya in December, Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak on Sunday said that political leaders who once opposed 'Sanatan culture' are now turning to Lord Ram out of electoral necessity.
Speaking to reporters, Pathak criticised the SP leaders for avoiding the Ram Mandir until the approach of the 2027 Assembly elections. "SP leaders never spoke about Ram Lallas temple in the past. It is the overwhelming force of our eternal culture that even those who oppose it in thought and action now realise that to win votes, they must seek refuge in Lord Ram," he said. "SP leaders never used to talk about the temple of Lord Ram Lalla. This is the glory of the eternal culture, and it is so vast that even those who oppose it in thought and deed think that if we want to win votes, we will have to seek refuge in Lord Ram," he said. Pathak also extended Diwali wishes to the people of the state. "On the auspicious occasion of Diwali, I extend my heartfelt congratulations and best wishes... Diwali has long been celebrated throughout the country and the world. This is the greatest festival of India's eternal culture," he said. This comes after SP leader Pawan Pandey said Akhilesh will visit Ayodhya with his family on December 12 to offer prayers at the Hanuman Garhi temple and seek blessings at the Ram Mandir. "On December 12th, the National President of the Samajwadi Party and former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Akhilesh Yadav, will visit Ayodhya along with his family," Pandey said. Pandey also expressed confidence about the party's prospects. "This government will be ousted, and the Samajwadi Party government will be formed, with Akhilesh Yadav becoming the Chief Minister," he said. It will be Akhilesh Yadav's first visit to the temple since its consecration in January 2024, and the announcement has drawn sharp reactions from the ruling side over its timing as Assembly Elections are near. Uttar Pradesh BJP Chief Pankaj Chaudhary on Saturday said that Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav can certainly visit Ayodhya to offer prayers, but he should refrain from "constantly" insulting Sanatan Dharma. Uttar Pradesh Minister Danish Azad Ansari also criticised the Samajwadi Party chief over the proposed visit, alleging that the party was raising issues related to Ayodhya, backward classes and Dalit communities with elections approaching. "With elections approaching, the Samajwadi Party will now go everywhere. Until now, they did not think of Ayodhya, nor did they remember the backward classes or the Dalit community. Now that elections are near, they are bringing up all these issues with the sole agenda of misleading the public," Ansari said. (ANI)
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