'Visit Ram Temple, do penance to gain good sense': UP CM Yogi to Akhilesh amid donation row

NEW DELHI: Amid the alleged donation embezzlement row in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday launched a sharp attack on Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and advised him to visit the Ram Temple.While addressing a gathering in Hathras, Adityanath accused the previous Samajwadi Party government of opening fire on devotees of Lord Ram."I was reading a statement by SP President Akhilesh Yadav yesterday. He was saying that if his government came to power, he would transform Ayodhya into a 'religious city.' What kind of religious city would you create? It was your government, the SP government, that opened fire on the devotees of Lord Ram. You lack the courage; apart from kneeling before Mullahs and Maulvis, you have no agenda for the state's development or for upholding the identity of Ayodhya, Mathura, and Kashi," Adityanath said."Today, when our public representatives were saying that more than 22 temples in Hathras were beautified, was this possible during the Samajwadi Party's time? Was it not during their time? Because at that time, this money went towards the boundary walls of kabristans. And that very money we have diverted towards temples. We have sent that same money here, because temples are the centres of faith. Akhilesh, Ayodhya has been adorned and beautified by the devotees of Lord Ram. You don't worry about it. Do penance. Have darshan of Ramlala once. At least this will bring some good sense, and now prepare so that we may also do something for Krishna Kanhaiya," he added.Earlier, Akhilesh targeted Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath and questioned his repeated visits to Ayodhya, asking whether they were meant to "oversee ongoing thefts."Taking a swipe at the chief minister, Akhilesh referred to the findings of the Special Investigation Team (SIT), which reportedly found that CCTV footage had been tampered with, and questioned how the alleged irregularities went unnoticed despite Adityanath's frequent visits to the temple."The SIT report itself indicates that CCTV footage was tampered with. Was the chief minister setting a record for the number of visits to Ayodhya just to oversee ongoing theft? Why is it that, despite making so many visits, he remained unaware of the activities taking place within the temple complex?" the former UP chief minister told news agency ANI.The Samajwadi Party chief also criticised the quality of development in Ayodhya, saying it had fallen short of expectations for a global pilgrimage destination."The development and work carried out in Ayodhya fell short of expectations. A place visited by people from across the globe should feature world-class infrastructure, and the devotees arriving with faith deserve international-standard amenities," he said.This comes after Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Trust General Secretary Champat Rai and trustee Anil Mishra resigned, taking moral responsibility in connection with the alleged Ram Temple donation theft case.Meanwhile, a court in Ayodhya on Friday remanded eight accused to judicial custody till June 29 in the alleged Ram Mandir donation embezzlement case. According to officials, those arrested are Avinash Shukla, Ankalp Mishra, Lavkush Mishra, Manish Kumar Yadav, Karunesh Pandey, Rama Shankar Mishra, Subhash Srivastava, and Rama Shankar alias Tinnu.Get the latest India news and live updates. Download the TOI App.