Time to talk about Mathura, says Yogi as Akhilesh tries to corner BJP over Ram Temple donation theft

Challenging the SP chief to publicly support the demand for the “liberation” of the Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi, he said, “Apne ko dharmik kehne ka prayas kar rahein ho to Mathura-Vrindavan par khul kar bol dijiye ki Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Mukti Andolan ki tarz par hi Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi ki mukti ka bhi abhiyan chalna chahiye… Bhagwan Shri Krishna ki janmabhoomi ko bhi samman milna chahiye (If you are trying to portray yourself as religious, then openly speak about Mathura-Vrindavan, where a movement should be started for the liberation of Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi. Lord Krishna’s birthplace should also be given due respect.”

“You lack the courage to support such a movement because you have bowed down before ‘mullahs-maulvis’, and you don’t have an agenda to work for the uplift of Ayodhya, Mathura or Kashi,” Adityanath said, adding, “Ayodhya apni pehchan ke liye aapki mohtaj nahi hai (Ayodhya is not dependent on you for its identity).”

Dismissing Akhilesh Yadav’s promise to develop Ayodhya into a “peerless religious city”, Adityanath argued that Ayodhya’s transformation had “already been achieved through the Ram Janmabhoomi movement and the construction of the Ram Temple under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership”.

Invoking the police firing on kar sevaks during the Ram temple movement in 1990, when Akhilesh’s father and SP founder Mulayam Singh Yadav was the chief minister of UP, Adityanath said, “Aap kya dharmik nagari banayenge? Apna itihaas dekhiye. Ram bhakton par goli aap hi ke logon ne chalayi thi (What religious city will you build? Look at your own history. Your people had opened fire on Ram devotees).”

The chief minister contrasted the SP’s past with the BJP’s role in building the Ram Temple, saying Ayodhya today evokes the memory of “Treta Yug” because of the efforts of Ram devotees. “The devotees of Ram have beautified Ayodhya. Akhilesh ji, aap uski chinta mat kariye, pashchatap kariye (You don’t worry about it, do penance),” Adityanath hit out at Akhilesh, and asked him to visit the Ram Temple.

Akhilesh Yadav, who was in Prayagraj on Sunday, hit back, saying that Samajwadi Party wants to protect Sanatan Dharma. He alleged that in BJP’s dictionary, there is no word as “dharma” and said that for BJP, the priority is rather “dhan” (money).

“For the BJP, there is no ‘Nation First’ but it is donation first. Could anyone have imagined such a big fraud with faith and devotion,” he posed to mediapersons in Prayagraj.

In a post on X on Saturday, Akhilesh said, “With devotion and integrity, we take this pledge that by forming a new government, we will develop ‘Ayodhya’ into a peerless and exemplary religious city, where devotees from across the world will experience the unparalleled essence of true spirituality.”

“With the blessings of the lord, we will restore and flourish ‘sanatan maan’ of Ayodhya as ‘Siyaram Dham’— with faith and devotion, unwavering belief, and genuine sentiment. Through this, we shall also reestablish the traditional pride and rights of the residents of Ayodhya,” he added.

The SP chief had alleged financial irregularities in the handling of donations received by the Ram Janmabhoomi Trust in Ayodhya. The Trust initially denied the allegations, asserting that its accounts are transparent and regularly audited. The UP government subsequently constituted an SIT to examine the allegations. Based on the SIT’s findings, an FIR was registered, and eight people were arrested.