Akhilesh Yadav to visit Ayodhya Ram Temple with family for first time since consecration

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav will visit the Ram Temple in Ayodhya with his family on December 12 (Thursday), in what would be his first visit to the temple since its consecration in January, 2024.

The visit comes months before the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly election, scheduled to be held in February or March next year.

Yadav, whose party is a part of the opposition INDIA bloc, had skipped the temple's consecration ceremony. Congress MP Rahul Gandhi had also done the same, with both leaders drawing criticism from the Bharatiya Janata Party and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. An invitation had been extended to both leaders to attend.

The invitation for the Pran Pratishtha ceremony in 2024 had led to a war of words between Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) chief Alok Kumar and the Samajwadi Party chief. Ahead of the ceremony, Kumar said, “Invitation has been sent to him (Yadav)...let’s see if Lord Ram calls him.”

In response to this, Yadav said he did not know Kumar, while adding, “Only people known to each other extend invitations.” After a formal invitation was sent by Ayodhya Temple Trust general secretary Champat Rai, Yadav thanked him and said he would visit the temple along with his family at a later date.