Samajwadi Party National President Akhilesh Yadav
Lucknow: Hitting out at the BJP over donation theft at Ram Janmabhoomi temple, former UP CM Akhilesh Yadav has announced that if the Samajwadi Party is voted to form the govt in the 2027 assembly polls in UP, he would make sure that Ayodhya ’s honour and dignity is restored in a transparent manner to the extent that the temple town would be seen as the global capital of Sanatani pilgrimage.
“Ayodhya will be made the global capital of Sanatan pilgrimage by providing it with world-class facilities,” he announced in an X post on Tuesday. Pointing fingers at the BJP over Ram Temple donation theft, Akhilesh said the expose has hurt the ‘faith of the faithful’ and has led to a decline in the number of devotees and pilgrims visiting the temple town. He said people at large were hurt by the donation theft at Ram temple and the way the issue was handled, leaving a direct impact on Ayodhya’s economy. Referring to allegations of land scams in temple town, Akhilesh said the SP govt will ensure that interests of local people are prioritised. It will have facilities that will offer a lifting experience to pilgrims from across the country and beyond, transforming the temple town into a global center for religious tourism,” Akhilesh said. “The BJP does not want the people remember the scene of Lord Ram and the PDA community embracing each other,” he said. Raising questions over contractors from outside Ayodhya being given mega projects, Akhilesh said the SP govt will ensure that ‘outsiders’ were ousted and local contractors were roped in. Referring to allegations of scam related to circle rate, the SP chief said that BJP leaders and corrupt officials involved in it would not be spared.
Outlining SP’s vision for Ayodhya, Akhilesh touched upon issues like management of Ram Temple, religious tourism, local economy, employment for boatmen and ration for the poor. “Ayodhya will have world-class infrastructure. Assuring that the transformation of Ayodhya will incorporate the temple town’s traditional cultural shades, Akhilesh promised arrangements in place to make sure that the traditional boating in Ayodhya flourished like it did when Lord Ram bonded with the Nishadraj.