On Wednesday, Yogi Adityanath became the first Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh to pray at the Ram Janmabhoomi since 2002.
Adityanath offered prayers to Ram Lalla at the Ram Janmabhoomi, the controversial site where Babri Masjid was demolished by right-wing extremists on 6 December 1992. After offering prayers, he visited the banks of Saryu river and offered more prayers.
In a rally in Ayodhya, Adityanath largely remained mum on the disputed site. He only said that he hoped for “the two communities” to resolve their differences through dialogue. Most of his approximately 20-minute speech was otherwise dedicated to talking about the development of the city.
Letting out a little laugh he said, “I know what you are waiting for me to say. I will say only this it feels very nice that some Muslim organisations accepted that Ayodhya is the birthplace of Ram and are willing to give up their claims to the disputed land.”
He then said that the UP government will spend Rs 350 crore for the development of Ayodhya.
The Chief Minister is scheduled to inaugurate a passport office in Ayodhya, and hold administrative meetings at the block and district level to discuss the development work.
He is scheduled to leave for Lucknow by 5.30 p.m.
Adityanath’s visit comes a day after a CBI special court in Lucknow ordered framing of criminal conspiracy charges against Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) veterans LK Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi and Union Minister Uma Bharti along with nine others in the 1992 Babri Masjid demolition case.
Officials, however, said there was no link between the court proceedings and Adityanath's visit to Ayodhya and said that it was pre-scheduled.
The Chief Minister was supposed to take part in the birthday celebrations of Mahant Nritya Gopal Das, head of the Ram Janma Bhoomi Nyaas, which led the Ram temple movement in the 1990s.
On Tuesday, the BJP Chief Minister had called on BJP veterans Advani, Joshi and Bharti, ahead of their court appearance.
(This story has been updated.)
(With inputs from PTI and IANS.)
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