Rampur, June 30 (IANS) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday tore into the Samajwadi Party and Congress, accusing them of politicising the donation theft controversy at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya and raking up the ‘dark reign’ during their rule when the devotees were fired upon for merely asserting their devotion to Lord Ram. The Chief Minister’s scathing attack came in the backdrop of a huge political uproar over alleged misappropriation of 'chadhava' (offerings) in cash and gold. Both the Samajwadi Party (SP) and Congress have been attacking the senior officials of Ram Temple Kshetra Trust, the body entrusted with day-to-day affairs of Ram Mandir, and demanding accountability of everyone, including the state administration.

CM Yogi, while inaugurating and laying foundation stones of 102 projects worth approximately Rs 690 crore in Rampur, said that those who ordered firing at Ram devotees and opposed chants of 'Jai Shri Ram' are the very people now talking of faith and reverence for Ram Lalla. The Chief Minister noted that they are the same people who ordered lathi-charge and firing at Ram devotees are now speaking about devotion to Lord Ram and matters of faith. "Before 2017, when Ram devotees chanted 'Ramlala hum aayenge, mandir wahin banayenge' (Lord Ram, we shall come; we shall build the temple right there), they were fired upon. Those who chanted 'Jai Shri Ram' were hit with lathis. Today, those very people are invoking questions on faith.”

“It is the power of the public that has forced them to change their stance," he added. Targeting the opposition, he further said that the very existence of Lord Ram and Lord Shri Krishna used to be questioned by them, but there is now a race to visit Ayodhya. Continuing his attack on the Akhilesh-led party, he stated that before 2017, Uttar Pradesh was grappling with an identity crisis.

“Daughters were unsafe, traders lived in fear, farmers were distressed, and employment opportunities for the youth were limited. As soon as government recruitment drives were announced, the "uncle-nephew duo" would engage in extortion,” the Chief Minister said. He also mocked the ‘Saifai model’ of growth during the previous SP regime, and compared it with today’s resurgent growth when the state is moving at a galloping speed and setting new models of development and good governance.

--IANS