They fired on Ram devotees, now talking about faith: Yogi Adityanath attacks SP
Speaking at Panchayat Aaj Tak, Yogi Adityanath said the government ordered a thorough probe into the Ram temple donations theft once the allegations surfaced. He also hit out at the Opposition for raking up the matter and questioned their motives.
In an all-out attack on the Samajwadi Party over its criticism of the theft of donations at the Ram temple, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath accused the opposition party of hypocrisy and reminded it of its own track record in matters of faith.
"They fired on Ram devotees, and today they are talking about faith," Yogi Adityanath said at Panchayat Aaj Tak on Wednesday.
He was alluding to when police opened fire on karsevaks during the Ayodhya movement in 1990. Then UP Chief Minister and Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh had ordered the crackdown after thousands of Hindu karsevaks marched toward the disputed Babri Masjid on October 30, and again on November 2. At least 17 died in the firing and ensuing clashes, per official records.
Yogi Adityanath acknowledged that the embezzlement of offerings at the Ram temple had hurt the sentiments of devotees but said the government acted promptly. The temple trust is an independent body and the government did not interfere in its functioning, but ensured a fair investigation once the allegations surfaced, he said.
A Special Investigation Team was formed, six accused were arrested, and others who allegedly aided them were also taken into custody. He added that additional steps were taken on moral grounds.
Questioning the opposition's motives, Yogi Adityanath stated parties that, in his view, had "attacked faith" and presided over lawlessness while in power were now trying to portray themselves as defenders of Hinduism.
"They are making the theft of temple offerings the central issue today, but they do not talk about the scams and misdeeds that happened when they were in power," he said.
The Chief Minister accused opposition leaders of trying to obstruct the construction of the Ram temple and of creating controversies around religious sites. He alleged that the SP and Congress disrespected Hindu faith by allowing namaz to be offered on the steps of Hanuman Garhi temple in Ayodhya. (Whether namaz was offered in the temple premises remains disputed.)
"If you are truly secular, you should have also had Hanuman Chalisa recited in a mosque. But that didn't happen. It was a one-way affair," Adityanath remarked.
Without naming anyone, the Chief Minister also took aim at "do yuvraj" (two princes) who are the product of dynastic politics. He said their tradition was to ensure prosperity remained confined to "two families" and claimed they could not understand the hardships of ordinary people.
"Both yuvrajs were born with a silver spoon in their mouths," Adityanath said. "They are used to waking up late. One went to Australia to enjoy the FIFA World Cup, the other visited the US on a tourist visa. Whose money did they go on?"
He further accused the Samajwadi Party and Congress of attempting to stoke communal divisions to regain power, saying voters understood their tactics and would not forgive them.
Under the BJP, Ayodhya had regained both religious prestige and economic momentum in recent years, he said, adding that the city's development had become a model for Uttar Pradesh.
In an all-out attack on the Samajwadi Party over its criticism of the theft of donations at the Ram temple, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath accused the opposition party of hypocrisy and reminded it of its own track record in matters of faith.
"They fired on Ram devotees, and today they are talking about faith," Yogi Adityanath said at Panchayat Aaj Tak on Wednesday.
He was alluding to when police opened fire on karsevaks during the Ayodhya movement in 1990. Then UP Chief Minister and Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh had ordered the crackdown after thousands of Hindu karsevaks marched toward the disputed Babri Masjid on October 30, and again on November 2. At least 17 died in the firing and ensuing clashes, per official records.
Yogi Adityanath acknowledged that the embezzlement of offerings at the Ram temple had hurt the sentiments of devotees but said the government acted promptly. The temple trust is an independent body and the government did not interfere in its functioning, but ensured a fair investigation once the allegations surfaced, he said.
A Special Investigation Team was formed, six accused were arrested, and others who allegedly aided them were also taken into custody. He added that additional steps were taken on moral grounds.
Questioning the opposition's motives, Yogi Adityanath stated parties that, in his view, had "attacked faith" and presided over lawlessness while in power were now trying to portray themselves as defenders of Hinduism.
"They are making the theft of temple offerings the central issue today, but they do not talk about the scams and misdeeds that happened when they were in power," he said.
The Chief Minister accused opposition leaders of trying to obstruct the construction of the Ram temple and of creating controversies around religious sites. He alleged that the SP and Congress disrespected Hindu faith by allowing namaz to be offered on the steps of Hanuman Garhi temple in Ayodhya. (Whether namaz was offered in the temple premises remains disputed.)
"If you are truly secular, you should have also had Hanuman Chalisa recited in a mosque. But that didn't happen. It was a one-way affair," Adityanath remarked.
Without naming anyone, the Chief Minister also took aim at "do yuvraj" (two princes) who are the product of dynastic politics. He said their tradition was to ensure prosperity remained confined to "two families" and claimed they could not understand the hardships of ordinary people.
"Both yuvrajs were born with a silver spoon in their mouths," Adityanath said. "They are used to waking up late. One went to Australia to enjoy the FIFA World Cup, the other visited the US on a tourist visa. Whose money did they go on?"
He further accused the Samajwadi Party and Congress of attempting to stoke communal divisions to regain power, saying voters understood their tactics and would not forgive them.
Under the BJP, Ayodhya had regained both religious prestige and economic momentum in recent years, he said, adding that the city's development had become a model for Uttar Pradesh.
