Ayodhya: Amidst the ongoing investigation into the alleged theft of donations at the Ram Janmabhoomi Temple in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath had alleged that the Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party used to “take over temples” and divert donations to construct mosque walls.
“The Samajwadi Party used to pocket money donated at temples,” Adityanath said while addressing a public gathering at Ayodhya on Saturday.
He targeted both the Congress and the Samajwadi Party, accusing them of questioning the authenticity of Lord Ram and opposing the development of Ayodhya.
Adityanath accused the Samajwadi Party of misusing temple resources during its tenure. The party used to take over temples and use donations made by devotees to construct mosque walls, he claimed, as reported by News18.
The UP CM also referred to an alleged attempt to offer namaz on the steps of Hanumangarhi in Ayodhya.
“People who are now speaking about Lord Ram and faith had recently attempted to offer namaz on the steps of Hanumangarhi,” he said.
He was referring to the BJP’s long-standing allegation that during the Mulayam Singh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party government in 2003, there was an attempt to organise Ramzan prayers and an iftar near the Hanumangarhi temple.
The local police had denied permission for the proposed namaz, preventing it from taking place, former Uttar Pradesh DG and BJP MP Brij Lal has previously claimed.
“Can anyone ever recite the Hanuman Chalisa inside the Jama Masjid? Can any government make that happen? Can the Congress or the Samajwadi Party make it happen? If they cannot, then why was this act allowed? Why was this act committed on the steps of Hanumangarhi in Ayodhya,” Adityanath asked.
He also referred to how Samajwadi Party leaders had once mocked the idea of an international airport in Ayodhya.
“No one had imagined that Ayodhya would have an international airport. Samajwadi Party leaders used to mock the idea. Today, Ayodhya has an international airport, but they are not happy with its name because it has been named after Maharishi Valmiki,” Adityanath said.
The CM also credited the BJP government with fulfilling the long-pending demand for the Ram Temple. “The Congress and the Samajwadi Party used to question the authenticity of Lord Ram. After the BJP government came to power, the Ram Mandir was built,” he said.
Adityanath also took on the Congress and the SP over the Waqf issue.
“I want to ask the people of the Samajwadi Party and the Congress: regarding the alleged theft in Ayodhya, over which you are making a mockery of Hindu faith, tell me, did you speak up even once about thousands of hectares of land, both within the state and across the country, sold off in the name of the Waqf? This land belonged to the poor and weaker sections of society and could have been allotted to them through leases or used for their welfare,” he said.
