Akhilesh Yadav to visit Ram temple in December; Yogi Adityanath: Apologise to Ram bhakts first

The SP party has announced that Akhilesh Yadav, the party's president, will visit the Ram Mandir temple in Ayodhya on December 12, three months before the upcoming UP elections. This move comes ahead of the consecration ceremony of the Ram Mandir, which took place nearly three years ago. The BJP has accused Akhilesh of using the visit to appease Muslims, but SP spokesperson Pawan Pandey asserts that the visit will be purely religious.

Yadav plans to visit Hanuman Garhi with his wife Dimple Yadav and other family members before reaching the Ram Temple. He intends to perform puja at the nearby Kedareshwar Dham, which is nearly complete, as a precursor to his visit. The SP chief is reportedly attempting to distance himself from accusations of appeasement and garner support from non-Yadav OBCs and upper castes in the region.

BJP spokesperson Rakesh Tripathi mocks the timing of the visit, accusing the SP of exploiting the opportunity for political gains. In response, Pawan Pandey maintains that the visit is not politically motivated. During a Deepotsav celebration in Ayodhya, CM Yogi Adityanath indirectly criticized Akhilesh's proposed visit, urging the SP chief to apologize to the devotees of Ram Lalla and seek forgiveness for his past actions.