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Deepotsav celebrations: SP’s Faizabad MP says he wasn’t invited for event
The Samajwadi Party member of parliament from Faizabad, Awadhesh Prasad, also accused the BJP of politicising the event
The Samajwadi Party member of parliament from Faizabad, Awadhesh Prasad, has alleged that he was not invited to the Deepotsav celebrations in Ayodhya and has accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of politicising the event.
This is the first Deepotsav celebrations since the consecration of Ram Temple in Ayodhya in January this year.
Speaking to the media in Lucknow on Wednesday, Prasad said, “I want to congratulate the people of Ayodhya on the occasion of Diwali. I consider myself lucky to be elected from Faizabad. Now, the BJP is politicising our festivals too. I have not received any invitation or pass for the Deepotsav 2024 yet. However, I will still go to Ayodhya today. The festival doesn’t belong to any one party.”
In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Awadhesh Prasad stunned everyone by winning from the Faizabad seat after defeating BJP’s Lallu Singh. Prasad was earlier MLA from Milkipur assembly seat in Ayodhya. The Samajwadi Party had won 37 Lok Sabha seats in 2024 General Elections and became the third largest party in the country.
This year Deepotsav is being called ‘special’ as this is the first Deepotsav celebration after consecration of Ram Temple in Ayodhya.
The Yogi Adityanath government has been organising Deepotsav celebrations on Diwali every year since it came to power in UP. This time too, the UP government has announced that it will attempt two Guinness records during the Deepotsav celebrations. One record will be of the lighting of 25 lakh diyas, while the other record will be of 1,100 people performing Saryu Arti simultaneously on the banks of the Saryu in Ayodhya.
On the other hand, a grand laser show, fireworks show has also been planned as a part of the event in Ayodhya. Union tourism and culture minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat was the chief guest at the celebrations.
