Kejriwal announces free pilgrimage to Ayodhya; likens himself as Hindu mythical Shrawan
Ravi S Singh
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, October 27
In a move to make headway for Aam Aadmi Party’s campaign for the upcoming Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, its supremo and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday announced that his government has included Ayodhya in its free “Mukhya Mantri Tirath Yatra Yojana” for senior citizens.
Kejriwal, who returned here after a two-day visit to Ayodhya during which he offered prayers to Lord Ram at his birthplace, informed that the Delhi Cabinet has approved the proposal to include Ayodhya in its free pilgrimage scheme.
“I want to facilitate the pilgrimage for elderly people like Shrawan,” striking up a metaphor of the Hindu mythological devout son of blind parents.
Shrawan, carried his blind parents on his shoulder.
Kejriwal said that free transportation and lodging is provided to senior citizens by the Delhi government under the scheme.
“I offered prayers to Ram Lalla in Ayodhya yesterday,” Kejriwal said, and added that the Yojana had been halted earlier due to Covid-19, but it would restart within a month or two following the levelling of the pandemic.
During his visit to Ayodhya, he announced that he will facilitate free “darshan” of Ram Lalla to people of Uttar Pradesh, should his party come to power.
The AAP has announced to contest the assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh. Hence, its splash on Ram Temple was in order.
His visit to Uttar Pradesh was to bolster AAP’s poll preparations.
The party has set its eyes to branch out and establish itself in other states, other than in Delhi and Punjab where it is well entrenched.
It has set its eyes on Goa, Uttarakhand and Himachal, and is trying to spread wings in other states.
He recently visited Goa and Uttarakhand, which will go to polls in February-March 2022 along with UP, Punjab and Manipur.
During his visits to Goa and Uttarakhand, he announced, among others, jobs to youths of every household, and a monthly unemployment allowance till such time, if AAP is voted to power.
