Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday launched a blistering attack on the Congress and Samajwadi Party (SP) during the ninth Deepotsav celebrations in Ayodhya, accusing both parties of disrespecting India’s faith and attempting to obstruct the Ram Janmabhoomi movement.
The Chief Minister, who performed ‘Rajyabhishek’ (coronation) of Ram and Sita along with rituals such as pujan, vandana and aarti, said Ayodhya had transformed into a symbol of the “confluence of development and heritage.”
Addressing the gathering at Shri Ayodhya Dham, Adityanath recalled the tumultuous years of the Ram Janmabhoomi movement, criticising the Congress for denying the existence of Lord Ram and accusing the SP of violence against devotees.
“During the Ram Janmabhoomi movement in this very Ayodhya, Congress said Ram is a myth, while the Samajwadi Party fired bullets at Ram devotees,” he said. “Today, Uttar Pradesh does not have to face an identity crisis. We are now lighting lamps where bullets were once fired.”
He also targeted the opposition over their refusal to attend the consecration of the Ram Mandir in January 2024, remarking, “These are the same people who prostrate at Babar’s grave, but when they are invited to the Pran Pratishtha ceremony of Ram Mandir, they reject it.”
‘They erased Ayodhya’s identity’: Yogi Adityanath Targets Congress, SP
Adityanath accused previous governments of “insulting India’s eternal faith” and erasing Ayodhya’s identity by renaming it as Faizabad.
“They had erased Ayodhya’s identity and renamed it Faizabad, and we have brought back the identity of Ayodhya, making it Ayodhya Dham again,” he said.
Recounting the launch of Deepotsav in 2017, the Chief Minister said it had begun with the intention of showcasing to the world the spiritual significance of lamp-lighting. “When we decided in 2017 to organise the first Deepotsav in Ayodhya Dham, the sentiment behind it was singular: to show the world how lamp-lighting should be done and on what occasion it should be celebrated,” he said.
He noted that when the festival was first revived, there were not enough lamps available locally. “In 2017, we did not have sufficient lamps available here to light them. For that, we had collected lamps from across the state, and only then were we able to light 1.71 lakh lamps. Today, millions of lamps are lit in Ayodhya Dham,” he said.
Yogi Adityanath hails ‘Triumph of faith after 500 years of struggle’
The Chief Minister described the lamps as symbols of faith and victory. “These lamps are not just lamps; these lamps are also symbols of the victory of faith over 500 years of darkness,” he said. “Back then, Lord Shri Ram resided in a tent, and now, as the ninth edition of Deepotsav is being celebrated, Lord Ram resides in his grand and divine temple.”
He added, “Every lamp reminds us that truth can be troubled but cannot be defeated. It is the destiny of truth to be victorious, and with that destiny of victory, Sanatana Dharma has continuously struggled for 500 years.”
According to officials cited by PTI, more than 26 lakh lamps are being illuminated across 56 ghats in Ayodhya, while 1.51 crore diyas are being lit statewide. The event includes a grand aarti featuring over 2,100 performers, followed by a light and sound show and a fireworks display, aiming to set a new world record.
Adityanath said the celebrations symbolise “how Ayodhya has journeyed from conflict to cultural resurgence, radiating faith, truth, and devotion.”
