Akhilesh worships Shaligram at SP office

The event, seen as move to counter the BJP’s Hindutva plank, came two days after the UP legislators visited the Ram Temple in Ayodhya in a trip hosted by UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath and Speaker Satish Mahana. However, no legislator from the Samajwadi Party went to Ayodhya

Lucknow: In what is being perceived as a move to counter the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party’s Ram and Hindutva planks, Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav performed puja of ‘Shaligram Bhagvan’ on Tuesday. The party’s Rajya Sabha member Jaya Bachchan, Akhilesh’s wife and Mainpuri MP Dimple Yadav, Jaswant Nagar MLA and Akhilesh’s uncle Shivpal Yadav as well as 101 legislators participated in the event. People chanted ‘Har Har Mahadev’ while the rituals were performed.

Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav performed puja of ‘Shaligram Bhagvan’ on Tuesday. (Pic for representation)

“The Shaligram Bhagvan (a shila)--the uncarved giant rock—came from Nepal and will be installed at the grand Kedareshwar Temple being built in Etawah (near the Etawah Lion Safari) under the patronage of Akhilesh Yadav ji,” said the party’s Unchahaar (Rae Bareli) MLA Manoj Pandey.

Rakesh Pratap Singh, SP’s Gauriganj (Amethi) MLA said: “The Kedareshwar temple is being built without using any iron, cement or concrete and will be a full stone structure”.

The event came two days after the UP legislators visited the Ram Temple in Ayodhya in a trip hosted by UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath and Speaker Satish Mahana. However, no legislator from the Samajwadi Party went to Ayodhya. The party had declined the Speaker’s invitation . The BJP had attacked the SP over the stance, while the SP had counter-attacked the BJP over “using religion for politics”.

When asked if the Tuesday event and the temple construction in Etawah were aimed at countering the BJP, Rakesh Pratap Singh said: “We worship all deities, we are Hindus and Santatanis. It is a matter of faith and unlike the BJP we do not use it for politics.”

Former SP MLA of Ayodhya Pawan Pandey, Manoj Pandey and Rakesh Pratap Singh also attacked the SP national general secretary, Swami Prasad Maurya who had frequently been making controversial comments on Ramcharitmanas and Hinduism. “We hope that looking at what has happened here at the SP office today, he will refrain from doing what he had been doing so far.” Pawan Pandey said: “I pray to Shaligram Bhagvan today to bestow some wisdom and good sense on Swami Prasad Maurya ji”.

A community feast too was organised outside the SP office on the occasion.