Minister urges Akhilesh Yadav to seek forgiveness for Karsevak shooting

Lucknow – The debate over the Ayodhya Ram temple has taken on a new dimension as senior UP officials directly addressed Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav. Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak labeled Yadav’s overt support for Sanatan culture as “pure political theater,” arguing that the leader will never adopt the faith with genuine conviction. Pathak emphasized that the Samajwadi Party’s electoral formula is built on caste calculations, vote‑bank targeting and occasional appeasement tactics, rather than on substantive development programs.

BJP representatives reinforced Pathak’s narrative, accusing Yadav of flipping between religious symbols to maximize vote share. They pointed to the party’s past statements, including those of MP Sanatan Pandey, as evidence of a dual strategy: courting Hindu sentiment while simultaneously pursuing Muslim appeasement policies.

Minister Dayashankar Singh shifted the focus to a historic grievance. He urged Yadav to make a pilgrimage to the Ram temple, obtain the deity’s blessings, and formally seek pardon for the 1995 shooting of karsevaks that occurred under the leadership of former chief minister Mulayam Singh Yadav. Singh warned that Yadav’s hesitation to visit the holy site could be driven by concerns that a visible act of devotion might jeopardize his support among certain community groups. He also referenced Yadav’s claim of descent from Lord Krishna, questioning its political relevance.

The episode underscores how the Ram temple, a potent symbol of Hindu identity, has become a battlefield for vote‑bank politics in Uttar Pradesh, with each party attempting to position itself as the true guardian of Sanatan values while navigating the sensitivities of a diverse electorate.