No point going with BJP to Ram temple on Feb 11: Shivpal

LUCKNOW: A day after the Uttar Pradesh government invited all members of the Legislative Assembly to Ayodhya for ‘darshan’ of Ram Lalla on February 11, Samajwadi Party said there was no point going with the BJP, with its chief Akhilesh Yadav stating that he will visit as a devotee when Lord Ram beckons him.

“There is no point going to Ayodhya with the BJP. We (members) did not get an invitation for the consecration ceremony. Even the Speaker was not invited to the January 22 ceremony,” SP national general secretary Shivpal Singh Yadav told reporters when asked whether his party legislators will go to Ayodhya on February 11.

“We will ask the leader of opposition (Akhilesh Yadav) to make separate arrangements for us for the Ayodhya visit,” he said.

When asked about this, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav told reporters at Vidhan Bhawan, “I have already said that I will go to Ayodhya with my family as a ‘darshanarthi’ (devotee). I will go when the call of Lord Ram comes.”

Uttar Pradesh Speaker Satish Mahana had on Tuesday informed about the government’s invitation to all the members during the assembly session. Mahana invited the members of all parties on behalf of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to visit Ayodhya on February 11.

He said, “In the presence of the chief minister, party leaders had requested to take them to Ayodhya. Shivpal Singh Yadav ji had also said we will go if the Speaker takes us. I am inviting you all on the behalf of the chief minister and on my own behalf.”

The Speaker had said they expect to reach Ayodhya by 11.30 am of February 11 and the members will first visit the Hanuman Garhi temple and then pay obeisance at the Ram Mandir from 12.30 pm to 2 pm. The idol of Ram Lalla was consecrated at the Ayodhya temple on January 22, a landmark event led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Lakhs of people watched the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ ceremony on the television and social media.