The issue of Ram Temple is being raked up once again in Uttar Pradesh—this time with a ‘Ram Raj Rath Yatra’. The yatra, which will be taken out by Ramdas Mission Universal Society, will begin from Aydohya on February 13 and culminate in the sacred city of Rameshwaram after 39 days.
The yatra will pass through major states, including Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala. There will be 40 meetings before the culmination of the yatra at Rameshwaram.
According to sources, keeping in mind the sensitivity of the yatra, home ministry has asked these states to ensure safety of the event.
Though the yatra is not being taken out by the RSS or other members of the saffron fold, according to the VHP’s spokesperson in Aydohya, Sharad Sharma, the saffron brigade will extend its cooperation. “Since the issue is related to Lord Rama and yatra will be taken out from Ayodhya, it becomes our unsaid duty to extend out full cooperation to it,” he said.
It is learnt that the yatra will be flagged off from Karsevak Puram where a workshop where chiselling and sculpting of stones for the construction of Ram Temple were in full swing from 1990 to 2007.
UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is likely to flag off the yatra. It may be recalled that UP government under Adityanath has a strong focus on Ayodhya. He has already announced building a 100metre tall statue of Lord Rama on the banks of river Saryu and has been making efforts to promote tourism there.
During the yatra, people will be made to take a vow for the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya.
It was 28 years ago that senior BJP leader and former union home minister L.K Advani took out a rath yatra in 1990 to mobilize public opinion in favour of constructing Ram Temple and got arrested.
