VHP dismisses Akhilesh Yadav’s Ayodhya promise

The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) on Sunday dismissed Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav’s promise to develop Ayodhya as ‘Siyaram Dham’ if voted to power, saying his Government’s record on the temple town does not inspire confidence.

The VHP also demanded police action against Congress leaders over their allegations that valuables worth thousands of crores have gone missing from the Ram temple, claiming such statements are aimed at creating unrest and disturbing the country’s atmosphere.

The VHP’s response came a day after Yadav, amid the ongoing probe into the alleged embezzlement of Ram temple donations, said people’s faith had been played with and pledged to develop Ayodhya into an “inimitable” sacred city if the Samajwadi Party formed the next Government. It also came after the Congress questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s silence over the alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ram temple, demanded the immediate arrest of those behind the alleged “scam” and sought a Supreme Court-monitored probe into the matter. VHP international president Alok Kumar dismissed Yadav’s poll promise as an attempt to seek votes in the name of Lord Ram.

“Akhilesh ji has made a very unusual statement that if his Government comes to power, he will make Ayodhya ‘Siyaram Dham’. During elections, people make promises that if they win, they will pluck stars from the sky or bring heaven down to earth. This promise of making Ayodhya ‘Siyaram Dham’ falls into the same category,” he said in a Video statement on social media.