Lucknow: Barely two months before the proposed inauguration of the Ram Temple, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, in a subtle political message ahead of the next year’s Lok Sabha polls in the country, chaired a meeting of the state cabinet at Ayodhya on Thursday.
Several proposals to promote religion and culture, including formation of the Ayodhya Teerth Development Council, were approved at the cabinet meeting which was termed as ‘historic’ by Adityanath.
The state cabinet also gave its approval for the formation of Maa Pateshwari Devipatan Development Council and Shukteerth Development Council. Both the places are prominent religious centres thronged by millions of devotees throughout the year.
”A new chapter has been added to the history of Uttar Pradesh….the entire state cabinet is in Ayodhya,” the CM said, adding that Ayodhya had emerged as a major religious centre on the world map.
The CM and his cabinet colleagues also visited the Ram Janmabhoomi Complex and also had darshan of the famous Hanuman Garhi Temple in Ayodhya before the cabinet meeting at the Ram Katha Park.
The meeting of the state cabinet came barely two months before the proposed inauguration of the Ram Temple by prime minister Narendra Modi. The Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, which was overseeing the construction of the Ram Temple at Ayodhya, has said that the temple will be opened for devotees on January 22 next year.
Seers in Ayodhya hailed the decision to hold the cabinet meeting in the ancient city, saying that it reflected the state government’s commitment to develop the city as a major centre of religious importance in the country and world.
BJP hopes to cash in on the Ram Temple’s grand consecration ceremony in January next year for the LS polls, which are slated to be held barely three months after the inauguration of the Ram Temple.
(Published 09 November 2023, 14:23 IST)