Opposition parties on Thursday strongly criticised Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath after he accused the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Congress of favouring graveyards over the development of Hindu religious sites. Speaking at a public meeting in Banda district, Yogi alleged that funds now being used for the development of temples and pilgrimage centres were diverted during previous governments for the construction of boundary walls around graveyards. He also claimed the opposition opposed the development of major religious destinations, including the Ram Temple, Kashi Vishwanath, Vindhyavasini Dham, Chitrakoot, and Naimisharanya.
Responding to the remarks, Samajwadi Party spokesperson Ameeque Jamei rejected the allegations and accused the BJP of corruption, referring to the ongoing controversy over alleged financial irregularities linked to the Ram Temple. CPI(M) General Secretary M.A. Baby also criticised the Chief Minister, alleging that his statements were aimed at creating communal divisions and promoting divisive politics in the state.
The BJP, however, defended the Chief Minister’s remarks. Rajya Sabha MP Manan Mishra said the opposition was unnecessarily politicising the Ram Temple issue despite the constitution of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the alleged irregularities. He said arrests had been made, trust officials had resigned, and the government was taking the matter seriously, while accusing opposition parties of exploiting the controversy for political purposes.
