Rahul's Bharat Jodo Yatra gets 'blessings' of Ayodhya seers

While the major opposition parties in Uttar Pradesh, including the Samajwadi Party (SP) and BSP, have shunned former Congress president Rahul Gandhi's ongoing 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' in the state despite being invited, the seers of Ayodhya have extended their 'blessings' for the same much to the elation of the local Congress leaders here.

Acharya Satyendra Das, the chief priest of the makeshift Ram Temple in Ayodhya, in a letter to Rahul, expressed the hope that his 'Yatra' would be able to 'unite' the country. ''The objectives of the Yatra will be fulfilled with the blessing of Lord Rama,'' Das said in the letter.

The priest, who commanded considerable respect in the seer community in Ayodhya, also hailed the 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' and said that it was keeping in line with the country's ancient tradition of 'Sarvajan sukhay, sarvajan hitay' (for the prosperity and benefit of all)''.

Also Read: Rahul Gandhi to hoist Tricolour in Srinagar on January 30 to mark end of Bharat Jodo Yatra

Another senior Ayodhya based seer Mahant Janmejay Sharan also extended support to the 'Yatra' saying that such activities were in the interest of the nation.

Das, when queried about his letter, said that it should not be seen through ''political prism'' and that any one, who did anything for the good of the country, must be supported.

Congress leader Gaurav Tewari earlier met the seers of Ayodhya and sought their blessings for Rahul's Yatra. ''BJP always uses the seers and Lord Rama for political gains while Congress never does that,'' Tewari said.

The support from the seers came amid the opposition leaders' shunning the yatra in the state. SP president Akhilesh Yadav and BSP supremo Mayawati, though wished success for the yatra, decided not to join the same nor send any of their senior leaders.

Congress had invited Akhilesh, RLD chief Jayant Chaudhary, BSP leader Satish Chandra Mishra, CPI leader Atul Anjan, former minister Shivpal Singh Yadav and Suheldev Bharat Samaj Party leader Om Prakash Rajbhar to join the yatra in the state. The Yatra entered UP's Ghaziabad district from Delhi on Tuesday.