Etawah (Uttar Pradesh) [India], November 8 (ANI): Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government over alleged irregularities in the construction and development projects in Ayodhya, accusing it of hurting the sentiments and interests of residents. He said the BJP could receive a “zero” from the people of Ayodhya and announced that he would visit the temple town on November 12.
Yadav made the remarks while visiting the under-construction Kedareshwar Temple in Etawah, where he offered prayers and extended Diwali greetings. During his interaction with the media, he also responded to questions about his proposed Ayodhya visit, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s remarks and the treatment of senior SP leader Azam Khan.
Aiming at the BJP over allegations of irregularities in donations and offerings collected in the name of Ram Temple-related activities, Yadav questioned the status of investigations and demanded accountability from those allegedly involved.
He further questioned the progress of the investigation into alleged irregularities, asking who was responsible and whether those involved had been brought to justice.
“And then, those who were involved in the theft of Ram Mandir, in the theft of donations, where are they? Who are these people? After making the SIT, they had to make the SIT. What answer did they get after that? When will they be investigated?” he said.
Yadav also criticised the Chief Minister over remarks concerning religious figures, questioning why there had been no response to statements about Lord Shri Ram and Lord Shri Krishna.
“What should we say about the father of Lord Shri Ram? What should we say about the father of Lord Ram? And then, what is being said about Lord Shri Krishna? Is anyone saying anything? Did you hear anything about any of these Sanatanis? So, who is responsible for this?” he said.
The SP chief also accused the BJP government of hurting the interests of people in Ayodhya in the name of development, particularly over land acquisition and compensation. He alleged that farmers had not received adequate compensation and that circle rates had remained unchanged for years.
He said, “They want to give land for development. But how will they take the land? Will they take it from the market or not? And they have hurt and insulted the people of Ayodhya if they go and ask for compensation.”
Questioning the quality of infrastructure projects, Yadav referred to incidents involving the collapse of structures at a railway station and an airport, as well as waterlogging on roads during rainfall. He alleged that substantial public money had been spent without the promised development being delivered.
“They spent a lot of money, but what happened to the development? And just now, they got zero. Just now, they got zero. It became zero in Kashi, and it became double zero. And there was a double loss. Will the government say anything about it or not?” he said.
Responding to a question about his proposed visit to Ayodhya on November 12, Yadav said he would visit the Kedareshwar Dham temple before proceeding to the temple town. He said the visit would also be an opportunity to thank the people of Ayodhya for their political response to the BJP.
“The place where you and I are sitting, the place where we are sitting, Kedareswar Mahadev Temple is being built there. And see, what happens is, on the line of Shiva-Shakti, on the line of Aksha, there are many big temples. On that too, a Kedareswar Dham temple is being built. Baba Bhule Rajji’s temple is being built. What can be more natural than this?” he said.
Taking another swipe at the BJP, Yadav said the party should be prepared for a poor response from voters in Ayodhya.
“This time, they are going to get zero from the whole of Ayodhya. Now, BJP should adopt the habit of zero,” he said.
On being asked about the treatment of Azam Khan and his political family, Yadav alleged that they had faced injustice and assured that they would get justice when the Samajwadi Party formed the government.
He also accused the BJP of undermining democratic institutions and the Constitution, alleging that the ruling party was using political controversies to divert attention from unemployment, inflation, farmers’ concerns and the state of the economy.
Raising questions about the government’s priorities, Yadav said issues relating to employment, investment and rising prices needed to be addressed instead of being overshadowed by political and religious controversies.
He also alleged that political leaders were being threatened and questioned the state of the Indian economy, referring to the movement of the dollar and the rupee.
Yadav reiterated that the SP would stand with the people of Ayodhya and called for accountability from the BJP over its development claims and the issues raised by residents. (ANI)
