Seers say got assurance from Yogi on temple construction in Ayodhya
A delegation of seers held a meeting with Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday, during which they raised the Ram temple issue and said the CM assured them that the religious structure would be built in Ayodhya itself.
The seers had called upon Adityanath to invite him for the birthday celebrations of Ram Janmabhoomi Shrine Board chief, Mahant Nritya Gopal Das who will turn 80 on June 27. Seers from across the country are expected to start arriving in Ayodhya from June 18 for Das’s birthday celebration, which is likely to bring the spotlight back on the Ram temple issue.
Last year, Adityanath had attended the birthday celebrations of Mahant Das of Mani Ram Das Chawni Peeth, which spearheads the Ram temple movement.
“We met the chief minister today to extend an invitation for Mahant Das’s birthday celebrations. The CM is likely to be in Ayodhya for the celebrations on June 25,” said Mahant Kamal Nayan Das, the successor of Nritya Gopal Das.
During Thursday’s meeting with the UP chief minister, Mahant Suresh Das of Digambar Akhara brought up the issue of Ram temple. Recently, Suresh Das had warned the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of a defeat in the 2019 general elections if Ram temple’s construction did not begin this year. The seers said Adityanath advised them to wait for the Supreme Court verdict on the matter but gave them his word that a temple will come up in Ayodhya.
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During the meeting, the seers also put forward several demands related to Ayodhya, including the closure of “illegal” liquor and meat shops that they said Panchkoshi Parikrama, a religious pilgrimage.
The delegation also urged the chief minister to ensure allocation of funds for the Saryu Mahotsav and ensure it’s celebrated on a large-scale.