New Delhi, Nov 7 (PTI) Attacking the Samajwadi Party by dubbing it as "Namazwadi party", the VHP on Saturday asked its chief Akhilesh Yadav to apologise for his alleged remarks against Lord Ram, the Ram temple and Hindu religious beliefs before his proposed visit to Ayodhya on December 12.
In a post on X, Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) national spokesperson Vinod Bansal said Yadav should make six commitments before visiting Ayodhya, including seeking "forgiveness" for his attacks on Lord Ram, his birthplace, the Ram temple, the Ramcharitmanas, Goswami Tulsidas, Sanatan and Hindu beliefs.
Alleging that the Samajwadi Party is “better known as the Namazwadi Party”, he said its chief Akhilesh Yadav is heading to Ayodhya.
"Election has come, so has the temple (Chunaav aaya, mandir laaya)... However, for now, this is merely a build-up ahead of his arrival, so that over the next five days he can study people's reactions and assess the response of his extremist voters. Even if he does not visit, he will get media coverage till then," Bansal claimed.
Linking Yadav’s proposed visit to the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, the VHP leader claimed that the SP chief knows his defeat is certain without Lord Ram.
Samajwadi Party leader and former MLA Pawan Pandey -- the party’s repeat candidate for Ayodhya in the 2027 assembly polls -- said on Saturday that Yadav will visit the Ram temple on December 12, an announcement that has stirred the political waters in the Hindi heartland state.
The ruling BJP has been targeting the SP president for not visiting the Ram temple over "appeasement politics", while Yadav has been vociferously raising the issue of "chanda chori" at the temple and blaming the BJP and Sangh outfits for the theft.
"Both Akhilesh ji and his wife Dimple Yadav ji will visit Ram temple and also visit the Hanumangarhi temple at Ayodhya on December 12," Pandey told mediapersons on Saturday.
Listing his demands ahead of Yadav's visit, Bansal said, "He should apologise for the attacks made so far on Lord Ram, his sacred birthplace, the Ram temple, the Ramcharitmanas, Goswami Tulsidas, Sanatan and Hindu beliefs; promise not to spread caste hatred in Hindu society; express remorse over the brutal killing of unarmed Ram devotees and the promotion of Babri mentality; and pledge not to hatch any further conspiracy to divide Hindu society or India."
He further demanded that Yadav stop supporting "extremist, missionary and anti-national conspirators" and not obstruct the liberation of Hindu religious sites in Mathura, Kashi and elsewhere.
"The six commitments should also include that he will no longer patronise extremist, missionary and anti-national conspirators who seek to weaken India in the pursuit of power, and that he will not obstruct the liberation of Hindu pilgrimage sites in Mathura, Kashi and elsewhere," Bansal said.
(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)