Akhilesh’s Ayodhya visit: BJP to focus on SP’s Ram Temple stance, 1990 firing

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is set to focus in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh on the Opposition Samajwadi Party (SP) stance on the Ram Temple construction and the 1990 police firing on the volunteers headed for the Babri Masjid ahead of its demolition, functionaries aware of the matter said. SP leader Mulayam Singh Yadav was the chief minister when the volunteers were fired upon.SP leader and former chief minister Akhilesh Yadav is scheduled to visit the temple with his family on December 12.The BJP accuses the SP of opposing the temple construction. The SP has maintained that it backed resolving the Ayodhya dispute either through dialogue or through the court.The issue is back in the spotlight as SP leader and former chief minister Akhilesh Yadav is scheduled to visit the temple with his family on December 12. This would be his first visit to the temple since its consecration in January 2024, after the Supreme Court paved the way for its construction following a protracted legal battle over the disputed site.The SP has sought to make alleged donation irregularities at the Ram Temple an issue months before elections are due in Uttar Pradesh early next year. Yadav has promised to make Ayodhya the global capital of Sanatani pilgrimage if the SP is voted to power.BJP state unit chief and Union minister Pankaj Chaudhary asked Yadav to apologise for the killing of Ram devotees during the SP’s rule, following the announcement of the December 12 visit.He said Yadav should visit Ayodhya on December 6, the anniversary of the Babri Masjid’s demolition, and seek forgiveness for the killings of devotees. “Unless Akhilesh Yadav apologises for the grave sin of the killing of Ram devotees, any political spectacle of visiting the Ram Temple cannot wash away the sins of the past,” Chaudhary said.The BJP, which has been under fire for poor management after the donation theft at the temple surfaced, is hoping that the reminder of how the volunteers were killed in the run-up to the Babri Masjid demolition would help coalesce the Hindu vote. “The SP government did not want the temple to come up. Mulayam Singh Yadav ordered the firing...owing to his politics of appeasement, he did not want the Ram Janmabhoomi to be reclaimed… We should not forget this dark history,” said a second BJP leader.The BJP, which lost the Faizabad seat, which includes Ayodhya, in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, has stepped up efforts to win all five assembly seats under it. In 2022, the party won three of the five seats, and the SP won two.The BJP hopes to return to power in the state for a third time after the 2024 Lok Sabha election setback. The Congress-SP alliance won 43 of the 80 seats in Uttar Pradesh and polled 43.52% of the votes in the 2024 polls. The BJP’s seats fell from 62 in 2019 to 33, dropping its overall tally below the majority mark in Parliament for the first time since 2014.The second leader attributed the 2024 Faizabad loss to local issues. “Our cadre was complacent, and the high command overlooked some issues. ...we are all set to win the five assembly seats. Donation theft is not an issue; development will be our strong point.”The Opposition has sought to stay focused on the donation theft. It kept the pressure on the government by raising the issue during Parliament’s July-August monsoon session. The Opposition even staged a play inside the Parliament House complex to embarrass the government over the lapse.The BJP is confident the donation theft issue will have no impact on its electoral prospects. “The government took swift action. As soon as it got wind of what was happening, a special investigation team (SIT) was set up, and the culprits were caught...the Opposition is scrambling for issues in Uttar Pradesh where law and order and governance have shown marked improvement,” the second BJP leader said.The SIT this month informed the Supreme Court that eight temple staff members swindled ₹2.7 crore from donation boxes during cash-counting.The BJP is hopeful the theft will be overlooked for the development taking place in Ayodhya. “The temple was a dream of Hindus for centuries. Hundreds of people died, and thousands struggled to see a grand temple at the site. That apart, it has become a major tourist destination and has brought avenues for employment in and around Ayodhya,” said a third party leader.He cited the Uttar Pradesh government data and said visitors in Ayodhya grew from six million in 2020 to 299 million in 2025.“Today we are talking of improved rail and road connectivity, hotels, hospitals and schools. Investments are coming to the state, particularly to Ayodhya. The opposition has nothing to offer except appeasement…” said the third leader.