BJP’s Pankaj Chaudhary (right) has asked Akhilesh Yadav to apologise for 1990 killings of ‘Ram Sevaks’.
LUCKNOW: Stepping up the attack on Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav over his proposed visit to Ram Temple in Ayodhya on Dec 12, UP BJP chief Pankaj Chaudhary on Tuesday challenged him to visit the temple on Dec 6 instead and apologise for the killing of hundreds of Ram devotees during the SP regime. Chaudhary said if Akhilesh’s renewed expression of devotion towards Lord Ram was driven by genuine remorse rather than political considerations, he should visit Ayodhya on Dec 6, the anniversary of the Babri Masjid demolition , and seek forgiveness for the killings of Ram devotees during Samajwadi Party’s rule.
“Unless Akhilesh Yadav apologizes for the grave sin of the killing of Ram devotees, any political spectacle of visiting the Ram Temple cannot wash away the sins of the past,” Chaudhary said. Chaudhary said that instead of resorting to political manoeuvring in the name of Lord Ram, the SP chief should answer questions about his past and the actions of his party. Such an attempt to project devotion to Lord Ram could further erode whatever political ground the party has left,” he said.
Chaudhary cautioned Akhilesh against assuming that projecting himself as a devotee of Lord Ram would help him escape accountability for his party’s past actions. “The SP should not mistake religious symbolism for genuine public acceptance.