Akhilesh vows to make Ayodhya 'global capital of Sanatan pilgrimage'

Lucknow, Nov 10 (PTI) Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav has promised to develop Ayodhya with world-class infrastructure and transform it into the "global capital of Sanatan pilgrimage" if his party comes to power in Uttar Pradesh after the elections next year.

    In a post on X late Monday night, Yadav, who prominently raised the alleged donation theft at the Ram temple in June, said his party was committed to restoring Ayodhya's dignity and improving its local economy, which he claimed had been affected by a decline in the number of devotees visiting the holy city.

    Alleging that devotees had been hurt by the "theft from the Ram temple", the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said his party would also introduce a transparent system for the temple to restore public confidence.

    "We will provide world-class infrastructure and make Ayodhya the 'global capital of Sanatan pilgrimage'," Yadav said.

    He also promised to promote traditional boating in Ayodhya to benefit local boatmen and revive the association between Lord Ram and Nishadraj, the king of Shringverpur and the leader of the Nishada, a tribal community, in the Ramayana.

    Yadav alleged that the BJP was attempting to undermine this relationship because it did not want people to remember the bond between Lord Ram and the PDA (Pichhda, Dalit, Alpsankhyak) communities.

    He further promised to free Ayodhya from outside contractors and order an investigation into land transactions in the city.

    Alleging irregularities in circle rates and collusion between BJP leaders and corrupt officials, he said those involved would be held accountable and their alleged ill-gotten wealth investigated.

    Yadav also promised to provide ration beneficiaries with oil and ghee to meet their nutritional requirements.

    The SP would ensure that nobody was humiliated or assaulted in the name of collecting oil, Yadav said, referring to incidents of the poor collecting leftover oil from diyas at the Saryu river ghats in Ayodhya after the grand Deepotsav celebrations.

    He also called for legal action against those who insult religious deities and prominent figures, irrespective of religion, and those who allegedly encourage such acts and disturb communal harmony.

    Yadav will visit Ayodhya with his family on December 12 and offer prayers at the Ram temple and the Hanumangarhi temple.

    This will be his first visit to Ayodhya since the consecration of the Ram temple in 2024. During the visit, Yadav will also meet seers, saints and mahants.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)