Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday demanded an apology from those responsible for the 1990 police firing on karsevaks before visiting Ayodhya, taking an apparent swipe at Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, who is scheduled to visit the Ram temple with his family on December 12.
Addressing seers at Ram Katha Park during the 10th edition of Deepotsav in Ayodhya, Adityanath said those who had ordered firing on devotees of Lord Ram must first apologise to the karsevaks, religious leaders and residents of the temple town.
"Tender an apology to Ram Bhakts first for firing on karsevaks before coming to Ayodhya," the chief minister said, without naming Yadav directly.
He was referring to the police firing on October 30 and November 2, 1990, during the tenure of then Uttar Pradesh chief minister and Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav. Several karsevaks were killed in the firing during the Ram temple movement. The Samajwadi Party has maintained that the then government had to take action to maintain law and order.
"Those who got bullets fired on karsevaks, who shed the blood of Ram Bhakts on the streets of Ayodhya, are coming here to seek blessings. First, they should apologise to the karsevaks, to the seers, and to the people of Ayodhya," Adityanath said.
‘Ayodhya does not belong to any party or family’
The chief minister asserted that Ayodhya belonged neither to a particular political party nor to any family, describing it as the sacred land of Maryada Purushottam Shri Ram.
"Those who insulted the sentiments of crores of Ram Bhakts cannot wash away their sins merely by visiting the temple," he said.
Adityanath also accused political forces that had opposed the Ram temple movement of attempting to derive political mileage from the temple's construction.
"Earlier, they used to say Ram did not exist. Today they are coming to Ayodhya. This is the victory of the faith of the people," he said.
He further warned that those who played with the sentiments of Sanatan Dharma would not be forgiven by the people of Uttar Pradesh. The electorate, he said, had witnessed which political forces stood with Lord Ram and which opposed him.
The chief minister's remarks came ahead of Akhilesh Yadav's proposed visit to Ayodhya on December 12. The SP chief is expected to visit the Ram temple and Hanuman Garhi with his family. It will be his first visit to the Ram temple since its consecration in January 2024.
SP says Akhilesh's visit is a matter of faith
Earlier on Saturday, Samajwadi Party leader Tej Narayan Pandey, popularly known as Pawan Pandey, confirmed that Akhilesh Yadav would visit both temples with his family.
"Akhilesh ji is coming with his family for darshan of Hanuman ji and Ram Lalla. This is a matter of faith. The BJP should not do politics on faith," said Pandey, a former SP MLA from the Ayodhya Sadar assembly constituency.
The party's response comes amid an increasingly political exchange over the proposed visit, with Adityanath linking the 1990 firing to the Samajwadi Party's political legacy.
Yogi credits BJP government for Ayodhya's transformation
Apart from targeting the Samajwadi Party, Adityanath highlighted the transformation of Ayodhya under the BJP's double-engine government, crediting infrastructure development, the construction of the Ram temple and the annual Deepotsav celebrations with restoring the city's historical and spiritual significance.
He said Ayodhya had evolved from a neglected town into an international spiritual destination.
"For decades, Ayodhya was kept in darkness. Today, 30 lakh diyas (earthen lamps) are being lit here. This is not just Deepotsav, this is the celebration of the return of Ram Rajya," he said.
The chief minister also described the 10 years of Deepotsav celebrations as a symbol of the restoration of Ayodhya's ancient glory.
The event was attended by Vice-President CP Radhakrishnan, who was the chief guest, and Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel. Seers present at the venue welcomed Adityanath's remarks with chants of 'Jai Shri Ram'.