Akhilesh wraps up 5th phase with first Ayodhya visit since temple

brief speech. He was slated to address a gathering of his supporters at Gandhi Park but because of huge crowd the campaign time ended and he left after offering puja at the Hanuman Garhi temple, a key place of worship for the devotees of Ram in Ayodhya.

Akhilesh started his speech by paying his respects to “Vishnu Avatars, Lord Ram, Lord Krishna and Lord Parashuram”. He announced that after the SP-led alliance comes to power in the state, land will be acquired for various projects for Ayodhya’s development. The circle rates of such land will be increased and six times of that rate would be given to those whose land will be acquired, he said.

Making an appeal to the people to support the SP-led alliance in the polls, Akhilesh said, “Yahan kan-kan me Ram hain (Ram is everywhere here). Ye desh ki sanskriti hai (This is culture of our country). Mili-juli sanskriti hai (This culture is pluralistic). Ganga-Jamuni sanskriti hai (This is Ganga-Jamuni culture). Is sanskriti ko bachane ke liye BJP ka safaya karen (to save this culture we have to defeat BJP).”

He said the recruitment of police personnel have been held up due to Covid and that a relaxation in upper age limit will be granted to the affected aspirants. He also said that the recruitment in teaching jobs of candidates with B.Ed degrees, who have cleared the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET), will be done once he comes to power.

The SP chief pledged that there will be no house tax and water tax in Ayodhya and that the consumption of electricity up to 300 units will be free for every household.

Taking blessings from seers and babas present in the gathering, Akhilesh asserted that Ayodhya will be developed into a world class religious city. He promised to create an atmosphere in which spirituality will be spread without causing any loss to local businessmen.

Attacking the BJP, he charged, “BJP’s small leaders speak small lies, big leaders speak big lies and its biggest leader speaks biggest lies.”

Referring to “unscrupulous” land deals of Ayodhya, Akhilesh said that some people were making crores in shortest possible time. “Aisi kamayee duniya me nahi dekhi (such growth of income is not seen anywhere in the world).”

A day after Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath attacked him calling him “Kalnemi”, Akhilesh launched a counter-attack, saying the former did not find laptops for distribution among students and that “he does not even know how to use a laptop”.

Referring to Adityanath’s remarks like “garmi nikaal denge”, Akhilesh appealed to the Ayodhya people to vote in such large number that “garmi nikaalne walon ki bhaap nikal jaye”.

He said that during his erstwhile government several development works were carried out in Ayodhya, such as Bhajan Sthal, and that once his government is formed again, he will do more to develop the holy town.

Akhilesh’s roadsow was planned for nearly 8 km but he had to terminate it midway after the campaign time ended at 5 pm. The SP chief did not visit the makeshift Ram Lalla temple.