Akhilesh Yadav Plans Ayodhya Visit Amid BJP Criticism

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav announced plans to visit Ayodhya, sparking a political confrontation with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and right-wing organizations. While initial reports indicated a family visit to the Ram Mandir and Hanuman Garhi temple on December 12, Yadav later announced a visit on November 12 to thank residents for their political response to the BJP.

From the Kedareshwar Temple in Etawah, Yadav accused the BJP government of infrastructure failures and financial irregularities in Ayodhya, citing structural collapses at the local airport and railway station. He demanded accountability for the alleged theft of Ram Temple donations and claimed the ruling party uses religious controversies to distract from unemployment and inflation.

BJP leaders and Hindu nationalist groups dismissed the move as electoral opportunism ahead of the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. BJP Chief Pankaj Chaudhary and Minister Danish Azad Ansari accused Yadav of misleading the public and insulting Sanatan Dharma. Additionally, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh leader Indresh Kumar called the politicization of faith unconstitutional, while Vishva Hindu Parishad spokesperson Vinod Bansal questioned the sincerity of the visit, suggesting it depended on the reaction of Yadav's vote bank.