The Samajwadi Party chose to abstain from the Yogi Adityanath government’s initiative to include leaders from all parties in its publicity campaign centered around Lord Ram.
On Sunday, MLAs from various political factions, excluding the Samajwadi Party, embarked on a visit to Ayodhya in ten buses to offer prayers at the newly consecrated Ram temple. While Adityanath, attending a religious event in Pune, later joined the MLAs in Ayodhya.
Addressing the matter, UP Assembly Speaker Satish Mahana stated, “I had extended invitations to all MLAs for the Ram temple visit. However, the Samajwadi Party MLAs expressed interest but were unable to attend due to party restrictions.”
In response, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav remarked, “We are not inclined to accept invitations from any political party or leader regarding matters concerning God. Our temple visit will be a personal decision made when we feel compelled by divine calling.”
Earlier, both the Samajwadi Party and Congress leaders had declined invitations from the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra trust to attend the Pran Pratistha ceremony of the Ram temple on January 22, labeling it as a personal showcase for Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Despite this stance, Aradhana Mishra, one of the two Congress MLAs in the UP Assembly, accompanied other legislators to Ayodhya. Mishra explained, “The Samajwadi Party members plan to visit the Ram temple at a later time.” However, she refrained from commenting on the political implications of her presence on the Ayodhya-bound bus.
Mishra, who is the daughter of Congress Rajya Sabha member Pramod Tiwari, has sparked speculation within the Congress circles about her potential political alignment with the BJP for a brighter political future.
Meanwhile, Rashtriya Lok Dal chief Jayant Chaudhary expressed appreciation for Modi’s announcement of the Bharat Ratna for Charan Singh, former Prime Minister and Chaudhary’s grandfather.
Among those who accepted Mahana’s invitation and visited the Ram temple were MLAs from the BJP, Rashtriya Lok Dal, Apna Dal, and several other smaller parties.
Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya criticized the Samajwadi Party, referencing the events of October 1990 when then-SP president and Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav ordered police to fire on those attempting to damage the Babri Masjid, which ultimately led to its destruction in December 1992 under the BJP-led government of Kalyan Singh.