Yogi Adityanath demands apology from those who fired on Ram devotees
The Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister spoke at the Deepotsav event in Ayodhya ahead of Akhilesh Yadav's scheduled temple visit.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday demanded that those who had opened fire on Ram devotees and ordered lathi-charges on saints must apologise before visiting Ayodhya. Speaking at the 10th edition of Deepotsav in Ayodhya, Adityanath said political leaders who neglected and insulted the temple town should express remorse for their past actions, according to The New Indian Express and Times of India.
The remarks come ahead of a scheduled visit to the Shri Ram temple on December 12 by Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav and his wife, Dimple Yadav. While the Chief Minister did not name Yadav or the SP, the announcement of the visit was made by former SP MLA Pawan Pandey.
Adityanath stated that there was a time when uttering the name of Shri Ram in Ayodhya invited bullets and lathis. He said the city, which was once neglected and where prohibiting the chanting of Ram's name was considered a sin, is now attracting global attention as its ancient glory is restored.
The Chief Minister also criticised unnamed political leaders for their conduct at religious gatherings, questioning if they understood the decorum of a katha. He described the acknowledgement of the existence of Lord Ram by those who previously challenged it in court as an ideological victory.
During the event, Adityanath noted that the Deepotsav journey, which began with 25,000 diyas, has crossed 25 lakh and is moving towards a target of 30 lakh diyas.