CM Yogi attacks Akhilesh on ‘Deepotsav’ expenses remark

Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav’s criticism of the expenses on the Ayodhya ‘Deepotsav’ being incurred by the Uttar Pradesh Government elicited a strong response on Sunday from Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who said that the Opposition party had fired bullets while his government is lighting lamps.

The Chief Minister accused the Samajwadi Party of attempting to erase Ayodhya’s religious identity, referencing their alleged efforts to prevent the Ram Temple’s construction and for questioning Lord Ram’s existence in an affidavit to the Supreme Court.

Adityanath asserted that while past governments fired on ‘kar sevaks’ in Ayodhya, his government is celebrating its heritage through events like the ‘Deepotsav’. The Chief Minister said this in retaliation to Yadav’s earlier comment where he drew parallels between Diwali and Christmas celebrations across the world and questioned the UP Government over its expenditure on candles and ‘diyas’ for ‘Deepotsav’ celebrations.