Ayodhya's Deepotsav troubles only Pakistan and Akhilesh: Adityanath

Ayodhya (UP): Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday took potshots at Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, saying like Pakistan, he is also troubled by the 'deepostav' in Ayodhya as his party has "anti-Hindu mentality".

Addressing a programme in bypoll-bound Milkipur assembly segment here, Adityanath also accused Yadav of patronising criminals and engaging in Muslim appeasement during his tenure as Uttar Pradesh chief minister.

He said 15 crore people are getting the benefit of free ration in Uttar Pradesh today, which not possible before 2017 (when the BJP came to power in state) as "the goons of Samajwadi Party" used to usurp it.

"The biggest mafia of any district, the biggest goon, was a disciple of Samajwadi Party, was its official. There were mafia involved in organized crime, land, animal, forest, mining. Every mafia from any area was connected to Samajwadi Party in the state," Adityanath charged.

"And what was the result? A parallel government of mafia was running. Babua (referring to Akhilesh) did not come out of his house. Babua used to wake up at 12 o'clock and the people of the state used to suffer," he said.

Adityanath claimed mafias used to run "parallel government" and indulge in hooliganism on one the hand and on the other, they crossed the limits of Muslim appeasement to spread anarchy even during festivals.

"Whether it was Holi or Deepawali, Raksha Bandhan or Shivratri, Ramnavami or Janmashtami, they had banned all of them, they had stopped the events. Because some people did not like the tune of Hare Rama Hare Krishna, Samajwadi Party used to ban it. They used to stop the Kanwar Yatra," he claimed.

"Ayodhya's Deepotsav! When lamps are lit in the temples and ghats of Ayodhya, it troubles only the Samajwadi Party chief and Pakistan. Because they knew that every lamp lit in Ayodhya will not only illuminate Ayodhya, but the country and the state. These lamps have the power to destroy Pakistan, which has become a cancer for humanity," Adityanath said.

"Pakistan is the enemy of India, hence it is troubled, but Samajwadi Party, which is known for its anti-Hindu mentality, also had trouble. Because they are used to living in darkness. They commit robbery, they need darkness. That is why they have done this everywhere," he added.

Milkipur assembly segment in Ayodhya district is bound for by-election along with nine other seats in the state. Samajwadi Party's Dalit leader Awadhesh Prasad vacated Milkipur after winning the Faizabad Lok Sabha seat in June.

According to an official statement, Adityanath on Thursday inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of 83 development projects worth more than Rs 1,000 crore in Milkipur.

He also handed over cheques, keys, certificates, sewing machines etc. to the beneficiaries of various schemes. He said a mini stadium is going to be built in Milkipur, it added.