Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday accused the Congress of opposing the construction of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya in the past and said that if Congress had wanted to build the temple, it could have built it in 1947 itself.
Speaking at an election rally in Khategaon, Madhya Pradesh, CM Adityanath remarked, “The Congress could have built the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya in 1947. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel had wanted it, but the Congress leadership rejected it.” He further noted that the Congress consistently opposed the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, even going so far as to question the existence of Lord Ram. He suggested that a party claiming to be the oldest one should not be allowed to dismiss the heroes and symbols of inspiration.
Yogi Adityanath’s comments come in response to Congress’s Madhya Pradesh chief Kamal Nath’s statement that the BJP cannot take full credit for the construction of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. Kamal Nath also mentioned that former Prime Minister and Congress leader Rajiv Gandhi had “got the locks opened” at the temporary Ram temple on the disputed Babri Masjid site in 1986 to allow Hindus to worship there.
CM Yogi further alleged that during a time when the nation faced significant challenges from Naxalism, terrorism, and corruption, the Congress leadership was more focused on one family than on national concerns. He argued that Congress and problems have become synonymous terms.
Madhya Pradesh is one of the five states scheduled for elections in one phase on November 17, with vote counting set for December 3. Voters will choose legislators for the state’s 230 Assembly constituencies.