Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, Yogi Adityanath in his statement to the press after the Diwali celebrations in Ayodhya said that Ayodhya was his personal belief and the opposition parties had no right to question it.
Yogi Adityanath on Thursday paid a visit to the famous Hanuman Garhi temple and offered prayers on the occasion of Diwali in Ayodhya. While speaking to the reporters, Adityanath briefed the importance of Diwali and extended his best wishes to the people of Uttar Pradesh and the entire nation.
The UP Chief Minister lighted 1.7 lakh lamps and created a world record, this was organised to showcase the development plan of Ayodhya. After offering his prayers, Yogi also announced that now Ayodhya will now be recognised as Nagar Nigam. He said that as many lamps will be lighted in Ayodhya as much the population of the town. Yogi said that he has begun the development schemes of the Ghats in Ayodhya and has also started working n projects will bring Saryu river in the town to all the ghats.
Yogi said that he has begun the development schemes of the Ghats in Ayodhya and has also started working n projects will bring Saryu river in the town to all the ghats. He announced projects worth Rs 133 crores and free electricity to 108 families.
While addressing the gathering, Yogi underlining the history of Ayodhyaa said that this town has given the festival of Diwali to the nation and the world, but it itself is under darkness. He further added that Ayodhya has been forced to bear the atrocities, but he assured that now it will not be the same anymore. He also told that the celebration was in honour of BJP for coming to power in Uttar Pradesh after 15 years and to boost tourism in Ayodhya.
On the second day of his visit, Yogi said that he had not started any new tradition by celebrating Diwali in Ayodhya, it is an age old practice to celebrate the homecoming of Lord Ram. As the assembly elections in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh are nearing and also keeping in mind upcoming Lok Sabha elections due in 2019, BJP seems to have failed in all its major tactics have now adopted its final card of Hindutva.
Denying any political tactics behind the motive, the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister said that “Ayodhya is my personal belief and it is my duty to develop Ayodhya and the opposition party had no right to raise questions on it. By celebrating a grand Diwali in Ayodhya, I have not started a new practice but it is an age old tradition here to celebrate the homecoming of Lord Rama,” he said.
He further added that celebrating Diwali in Ayodhya was his effort to protect and promote the age old culture. He also said that he has given instructions for the complete cleanliness and hygiene of the town. In his statement, he also said that he is ensuring an all round development in the town so that Ayodhya can be placed on the world tourist map.
During his stay, he also celebrated Diwali with the forest dwelling ‘Vantangiya’ community and declared five of their settlements as revenue villages. Yogi as a part of the celebration, distributed sweets, fruits and textbooks to the children and wheelchairs to the disabled Vantangiyas. The Vantangiya community are the people brought from Myanmar during the colonial rule to plant trees for afforestation
The five villages which were declared as revenue villages are: Tikonia number-3, Ramgarh alias Rajhi, Chilbila, Sarkar and Aam Bagh Ramgarh.
The Chief Minister also asked his officials to submit a report to the state government regarding the construction of primary schools, Anganwadi centres, sports fields, drinking water arrangements, cremation spots and grazing land in the five villages.
This decision of announcing the villages as revenue villages were taken by the government because the community faces problems related to the use of natural forest produce like fruits, honey, wax, wood and leaves to meet their daily needs as the forests inhabited by them. After the conversion of these villages, the government will be able to undertake the development measures under the provisions of the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act.