Akhilesh traitor to Lord Ram, Lord Krishna: Yogi Adityanath chides SP chief for Deepotsav remark

Gorakhpur (UP): Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath slammed Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday, terming him a "traitor" to Lord Ram and Lord Krishna, days after the Samajwadi Party chief came under the BJP's diatribe for his remarks on lighting diyas during the annual Ayodhya Deepotsav event.

He also claimed that had Akhilesh Yadav understood the pain of the Prajapati community, those associated with pottery, he would not have made such a "childish statement".

Yadav earned the BJP's ire after he, on Saturday, raised questions on the Yogi Adityanath government's expenditure on lighting diyas and candles during Ayodhya's annual Deepotsav celebration and suggested that it should learn from the arrangements made worldwide to illuminate cities during Christmas.

The ruling party has also accused the former chief minister of Uttar Pradesh of wanting to curb the prosperity of the Prajapati community, who make earthen lamps.

Addressing a programme in Gorakhpur on Tuesday, Adityanath said that had Akhilesh Yadav understood the pain of the Prajapati community, he would not have made such a "childish statement".

"Hence, it is said that one may inherit the throne, but not the brain. For that, efforts have to be made. For some people, their childishness remains with them throughout their lives.

"He (Yadav) had asked what is the need to light lamps? In other words, he has hatred towards Deepavali. Till now, we used to think that he had a hatred towards the Ram Janmabhoomi in Ayodhya and other Hindu pilgrimage sites," Adityanath said.

He said that during the formation of the Braj Teerth Vikas Parishad, Yadav had said that he would install a statue of Duryodhan in Saifai. "I said you can install (statue of) Kans (Lord Krishna's uncle in the scriptures) as well."

"We will decorate Lord Krishna's Mathura and Vrindavan, because these are our values. Kans and Duryodhan are dear to you; you can install them. He said the same thing this time as well on the occasion of Diwali.

"In other words, he is not only a "Ram Drohee" (traitor to Lord Ram), but a "Krishna Drohee" (traitor to Lord Krishna) as well. He is also a traitor to festivals of Sanatan Dharma," Adityanath said.

The chief minister alleged that the Congress had earlier rejected Lord Ram and Lord Krishna. "Today, the world comes to Ayodhya to have a glimpse of Lord Ram, and gets mesmerised."

In an apparent reference to expenses by the state government during Diwali, Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday said, "Around the world, at the time of Christmas, cities are illuminated, and they remain so for months. Just learn from them."

"Why are there repeated expenses on lamps and candles? Such governments should be removed. We will do a very beautiful illumination," he had told reporters while responding to a question on the Ayodhya Deepotsav celebrations.