Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday launched a strong attack on the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Congress, alleging that the Akhilesh Yadav-led party misused temple donations during its tenure. Speaking at a public event in Ayodhya, Adityanath claimed that temple offerings were diverted for the construction of mosque walls.
“The Samajwadi Party used to take over temples and pocket money donated by devotees. Donations offered at temples were used to build mosque walls,” Adityanath alleged.
His remarks come amid the ongoing political controversy surrounding the alleged theft of donations at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, with the BJP and opposition parties trading accusations.
Accuses Opposition of Opposing Ram Temple and Ayodhya Development
The Chief Minister also accused the Congress and the Samajwadi Party of questioning the existence of Lord Ram and opposing the construction of the Ram Temple.
“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 further claimed that opposition leaders had once mocked the idea of an international airport in Ayodhya.
“No one imagined Ayodhya would have an international airport. Samajwadi Party leaders used to mock the idea. Today, Ayodhya has an international airport, but they are unhappy because it has been named after Maharishi Valmiki,” he said.
Revives Hanumangarhi Namaz Allegation
Referring to an alleged incident from 2003, Adityanath revived the BJP’s long-standing allegation that there was an attempt to organise namaz near the Hanumangarhi temple during the Samajwadi Party government led by Mulayam Singh Yadav.
Questioning the incident, he said, “People who are now speaking about Lord Ram and faith had attempted to offer namaz on the steps of Hanumangarhi.”
He also asked, “Can anyone recite the Hanuman Chalisa inside a Jama Masjid? Can any government make that happen? If not, then why was such an act allowed at Hanumangarhi?”
Questions Congress and SP Over Waqf
The Chief Minister also criticised the Congress and the Samajwadi Party over the Waqf issue, accusing them of remaining silent on the alleged sale of Waqf properties.
“I want to ask the Samajwadi Party and the Congress whether they ever spoke about thousands of hectares of land sold in the name of Waqf. That land belonged to the poor and weaker sections of society and could have been used for their welfare,” he said.
