Delhi chief minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convener Arvind Kejriwal attended the ceremonial aarti on banks of the river Saryu in Ayodhya during his visit to the temple town on Monday, and began his address with the chant of “Jai Sri Ram” in an event organised by Mahant Dharam Das, the head of Nirvani Akhada, Ayodhya.
Addressing a gathering after the Saryu aarti, Kejriwal said: “I am fortunate to be in Ayodhya. I seek blessings from Ma Saryu for prosperity of Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and rest of the country... The country is facing the corona pandemic. But for the last few days situation in under some control. With blessing of Ma Saryu and Lord Ram, soon we will be free from this pandemic.”
He added that he prayed to Lord Ram to make the country “number one”.
“We together, 130 crore people of this country can make this possible,” said Kejriwal. “I am much younger to many people present here. But with my experience of running Delhi government in the past five years I can assure that 130 crore people this country together can make this happen if they work like family.”
Kejriwal reached Lucknow on Monday morning, and reached Ayodhya on a two-day visit in the evening, accompanied by the AAP’s Uttar Pradesh in charge and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh.
{{/usCountry}}Kejriwal reached Lucknow on Monday morning, and reached Ayodhya on a two-day visit in the evening, accompanied by the AAP’s Uttar Pradesh in charge and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh.
{{/usCountry}}According to Vaibhav Maheshwari, AAP’s state spokesperson, the Delhi CM will pay obeisance to Ram Lalla at the Ram Janmabhoomi site, and to Lord Hanuman at Hanuman Garhi temple on Tuesday.
The ruling BJP slammed the visit. “AAP was opposing Ram Mandir. They wanted a university instead of Ram Mandir at Ram Janmabhoomi. Now, in Ayodhya they are talking about Lord RamThey have no political base in Uttar Pradesh,” said Ved Prakash Gupta, BJP’s MLA from Ayodhya Sadar assembly constituency.
The AAP has already said it will contest the assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh due in February-March next year. The party took out a Tiranga (tricolour) Yatra in Ayodhya in September.