'Lamps being lit where bullets were fired': Yogi Adityanath hits out at Oppn after opening Deepotsav in Ayodhya

Ayodhya: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday hit out at the opposition parties over their stance on the Ram Janmabhoomi movement, and said now “lamps are being lit where bullets were once fired”.

After inaugurating the ninth Deepotsav in Ayodhya on Sunday, where he performed 'Rajyabhishek' (coronation) of Ram and Sita, including ‘pujan', ‘vandana', and ‘aarti', Adityanath also slammed the opposition for "rejecting" the invitation for the consecration ceremony of Ram temple in January 2024.

“During the Ram Janmabhoomi movement in this very Ayodhya, Congress said Ram is a myth, while the Samajwadi Party fired bullets at Ram devotees,” he alleged.

“Today, Uttar Pradesh does not have to face an identity crisis. We are now lighting lamps where bullets were once fired,” Adityanath said.

The chief minister was referring to the police firing on ‘Kar Sevaks’ in Ayodhya during the Ram temple agitation in 1990, when the Samajwadi Party (SP) was in power with Mulayam Singh Yadav at the helm.

The firing became a hot political issue with the BJP accusing the SP government of appeasement politics – a charge that Adityanath reiterated subtly by recalling the incident.

Criticising the opposition for turning down the invitation for the consecration ceremony, the chief minister said, “These are the same people who prostrate at Babar's grave, but when they are invited to the Pran Pratishtha ceremony of Ram Mandir, they reject it.” “These (opposition) are the same people who still try to create communal hatred by adopting the ‘divide and rule’ policy of the British,” he said.

Highlighting the transformation of the city, he said Ayodhya now showcases an amazing confluence of development and heritage .

On the scale of this year's Deepotsav festival, the chief minister said 1,51,00,000 ‘diyas' (earthen lamps) are being lit across Uttar Pradesh.

“When we first decided to hold the Deepotsav in Ayodhya Dham in 2017, the intention was to show the world how lamps are lit.

“Today, lakhs of lamps are lit in Ayodhya, which has become a symbol of the resolve of every Indian. These are not just lamps, they also symbolise the victory of faith over 500 years of darkness,” Adityanath said, according to a press statement.

“The lamp stands testimony to the insults that had to be faced and the battles our ancestors fought in these 500 years.

“Maryada Purushottam Shri Ram was seated in a tent then, but now as the ninth edition of Deepotsav takes place, Shri Ram is seated in his magnificent temple. Every lamp reminds us that truth can be disturbed, not defeated,” the chief minister said.

Adityanath also said that Deepotsav is proof that no politics can imprison faith.

Earlier, a few thousand devotees used to come to Ayodhya, which was gripped by disorder with dirt visible everywhere, the chief minister said.

Now, 6-10 crore devotees visit Ayodhya Dham every year, he said.

“People feel proud to come to Ayodhya today – from Kashmir, Kanyakumari, Kohima and Kutch,” Adityanath said.

“We have developed Ayodhya in accordance with the resolutions of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Ayodhya will now establish itself as the spiritual capital of the world, and the faith capital of India,” he added.

He also said the Ayodhya temple was locked from 1950 until 1986, during which an attempt was made to imprison Lord Ram at his birthplace.

“But with Lord Ram seated in his magnificent temple, today every Sanatan devotee rejoices with pride that the will of our forefathers has been fulfilled,” Adityanath said.

This year, more than 26 lakh lamps will be lit across 56 ghats in Ayodhya, with around 28 lakh lamps being arranged in advance, aiming to set a world record, officials said.