Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday questioned opposition parties’ true sentiments towards Ram Mandir Bhoomi Pujan. Speaking to India Today TV in an exclusive interview, CM Adityanath said while his party never waivered from its stand on the issue of Ram temple, the same cannot be said for the opposition parties.
“Our commitment to the construction of Ram temple has remained the same since 1984. However, they [opposition leaders] should be asked about their sentiments towards the issue in 1949, in 1984, in 1989, in 1990, in 1992, and what were their sentiments thereafter,” CM Yogi Adityanath said.
However, the CM said that the omission of the leaders of opposition parties from the Bhoomi Pujan guest list was not due to political reasons. “A lot of people wanted to participate in the ceremony, but only around 200 people could attend it. It’s not just Congress or Samajwadi Party, no political party leader attended the programme,” the chief minister said in the interview.
Here are the excerpts of CM Yogi Adityanath’s exclusive interview in 10 points:
1) On not inviting opposition leaders to bhoomi pujan:
A lot of people wanted to participate in the ceremony, but only around 200 people could attend it. It’s not just Congress or Samajwadi Party, no political party leader attended the programme. The BJP president could have also been invited, but he was not. The aim of the ceremony was to begin an auspicious work in an auspicious way without any delay while minding the Covid-19 protocol. The porgamme was broadcast live. I believe Lord Ram belongs to everyone and everyone should participate in the work being done for Lord Ram. But no one should try to use Lord Ram’s name to create a divide in the society.
2) On accusations of dividing the society over Ram temple:
We have not done anything [to divide the society], we have brought everyone together. We invited people from all the communities, ideologies and traditions and they have attended the ceremony as well. But we have not done any politics in the name of Lord Ram. Our commitment to the construction of Ram temple has remained the same since 1984. However, they [opposition leaders] should be asked about their sentiments towards the issue in 1949, in 1984, in 1989, in 1990, in 1992, and what were their sentiments thereafter. Time and again somebody would go to Supreme Court to impede the resolution of the issue. People sometimes say one thing but their reality is different, we should look at their intentions by factoring their past deeds. We did what we promised. We live by the rules inspired by Lord Ram’s life.
3) When will people be able to visit Ram Lalla
The Ram Lalla’s idol has currently been placed inside a temporary temple, being maintained by the Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust. Devotees can visit the temple and offer prayers without any hassle. The construction of the grand temple has started today. It will be completed in due time. For now, Lord Ram has been taken out of a tent and placed inside a temporary temple.
4) On statements that PM Modi should not have attended ‘communal event’:
It is because of the narrow mindedness of the people who see Lord Ram as communal that the Ram temple was not built within five years of British exiting India.
5) On the development of Ayodhya:
No CM used to visit Ayodhya, but ever since I have taken the reins, I make a point to visit four to five times every year – for events and also for developments of the city. Before BJP came to power, Ayodhya used to get electricity supply for two hours in a day, now the city has 24 hours supply. Ayodhya landscape was marked with hanging electric wires in narrow streets. There were no facilities. We have not only honoured the city’s faith but have also worked for the development. The developments works began six years ago when Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Ramayan Circuit and we have carried on that work.
6) On changing name of the city from Faizabad to Ayodhya:
We have not only changed the name but also the style of working. Earlier, Ayodhya was a municipal committee; we turned it into a municipal corporation. Then we changed the name of the district to Ayodhya. We upscaled the Diwali celebrations in the region as well as pushed several development projects to give people of Ayodhya a picture of an actual development on the ground. We were able to fulfill the vision of PM Modi. We are working hard to realise Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision for Ayodhya’s development, boost in tourism, Prayagraj Kumbh and other similar activities.
7) On striking balance between Ram temple and Covid crisis:
For us, the Ram temple’s construction is like a movement for building a national temple for a glorious India. This temple will show the world and the nation that Lord Ram’s glory is India’s glory. And we are taking it in that stride. We are also fighting against coronavirus. Despite being the most populous state in the country, we have fought the most-effective battle against coronavirus under the guidance of the prime minister.
8) On Ram temple generating economic opportunities:
We are working towards generating a lot of employment opportunities by boosting tourism via the construction of the Ram temple. You must have noticed that Prayagraj Kumbh was attended by a record number of devotees. During the Kumbh, the UP economy added Rs 1,20,000 crore in its turnover. These events leave a major impact on employment opportunities and businesses. We have linked the same parametres here. In Ayodhya, the Ram temple will respect the faith as well as strengthen the economy. The holy cities in UP have a massive untapped reservoir of economic opportunities, missed to date due to the narrow-mindedness of previous governments. We are already working to develop Varanasi and Mathura-Braj region on the same line.
9) Will he consider Ram Mandir bhoomi pujan as his accomplishment:
The credit for the bhoomi pujan goes to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. I am thankful to him that he gave all of us and countrymen this opportunity. I am also grateful to Home Minister Amit Shah for his unwavering dedication towards the movement. Today’s date is even more special as August 5 marks the day when the blemish of 70 years – Article 370 for the special status of Jammu and Kashmir was abrogated. Home Minister Amit Shah fulfilled his constitutional duty by ending Article 370 and uprooting terrorism from the state. For this also, I thank Home Minister Amit Shah.
10) Was the date decided as per PM Modi’s connivance instead of muhurt:
The muhurt was decided as per the suggestions given by various scholars. The foundation stone was laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Abhijeet Muhurt, it is the muhurt in which Lord Ram was born. Those who do not know about these things will obviously make such comments. The muhurt was suggested by various scholars and the final decision was made by the temple trust. We all, including PM Modi, were invited to the event by the trust. The UP government was involved with the security arrangements.