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 principal Opposition in the state, the SP, 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’. He further alleged that the Opposition follows the British policy of 'divide and rule' and had turned the holy city into Faizabad, a decision his government reversed.

The Uttar Pradesh 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 Uttar Pradesh Government over its expenditure on candles and 'diyas' for 'Deepotsav' celebrations.

Speaking at a press conference in Lucknow on Saturday, Yadav had said that India should 'learn' from cities across the world on how they celebrate Christmas. "I will give one suggestion in the name of Lord Ram. In the entire world, all the cities get illuminated during Christmas. And that goes on for months. We should learn from them," he was quoted as saying by agencies.

"Why do we have to spend money on lamps and candles and put so much thought into it? What can we expect from this government; it should be removed. We will make sure that there are more beautiful lights," the former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister had added.