The Samajwadi Party chief's visit to the temple and Hanumangarhi follows criticism from the BJP regarding his political stance.
Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav and his wife Dimple Yadav are scheduled to visit the Ram Temple and Hanumangarhi in Ayodhya on December 12, according to the Times of India. The announcement was made by former SP MLA Pawan Pandey, who has been renominated as the party's candidate for Ayodhya.
This will be the first visit by the SP chief to the Ram Temple since its inauguration in January 2024. Pandey stated that Yadav would travel with his family to meet saints and seek their blessings.
The visit comes ahead of the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections in early 2027. The BJP has previously accused Yadav of pursuing appeasement politics by not visiting the temple, while the SP chief has previously called the temple a BJP project and alleged the theft of donations by Sangh organisations.
Addressing the 10th edition of Deepotsav in Ayodhya on Saturday, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that those who previously neglected Ayodhya or fired on devotees should apologise to saints and devotees before visiting the temple. Adityanath did not name the Samajwadi Party or Yadav in his remarks.
Yadav has previously mentioned that he would visit the Ram Temple once the Samajwadi Party-built Kedareshwar Dham in Etawah is finished. The BJP has also frequently cited the police firing on karsevaks during the 1990s under Mulayam Singh Yadav's government when targeting the SP.
