'Hurt sentiments...': Video of sanitation workers sweeping away diyas in Ayodhya sparks row

Ayodhya (UP): Samajwadi Party (SP) leaders have slammed the action of municipal sanitation workers in Ayodhya, who were seen sweeping up and extinguishing diyas (earthen lamps) shortly after they were lit during Sunday's Deepotsav celebrations here.

Videos that have gone viral on social media over the last two days purportedly show sanitation workers from the Ayodhya Municipal Corporation pushing and extinguishing the burning lamps with brooms after the Deepotsav celebrations.

Reacting to the videos, senior SP leader Jai Shankar Pandey said on Wednesday that the action of the municipal sanitation workers has deeply hurt the religious sentiments of people.

"Lakhs of lamps were lit by people on the banks of the Sarayu river with devotion and faith for Ramji's return from exile. Extinguishing those burning lamps with brooms and removing those disrespectfully shortly thereafter is certainly an assault on the Hindu religion," the former Uttar Pradesh minister said.

Local SP leaders echoed the sentiment.

Responding to the controversy, Ayodhya Municipal Commissioner Jayendra Kumar said, "Some lamps were probably burning but most had got extinguished when the sanitation workers arrived." The ninth edition of the Deepotsav celebrations were held in the presence of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday.