Samajwadi Party National President Akhilesh Yadav said on Thursday that they will go for Ram darshan (in Ayodhya consecration ceremony) only when God calls them.

“We all follow the tradition that ‘jab bulava aata hai, tab darshan hote hai’(we get darshan only when God calls us). I leave the house after having darshan of God every time. Now, you tell me which God I should go to for darshan?” he said, replying to a question whether he will attend the ceremony on January 22.

Earlier, BJP MP Subrata Pathak had demanded a ban on the entry of SP leaders in the Ayodhya Ram temple as ‘they were instrumental in opening fire on the Kar sevaks’.

Yadav was addressing a press conference after the national conference of Samajwadi Mahila Sabha at SP headquarters here.

On the controversial statements made by Swami Prasad Maurya, he said that this should be asked from the BJP people because he stayed in the saffron party for five years. ‘’After all, why did he not make such statements while he was in that party? ‘’, adding that SP respects all religions.

On the increase in the upper age limit of police constable recruitment by the Yogi Adityanath government, Akhilesh Yadav said the SP had also demanded the same.

“The youth of the entire state were angry over age. The government is afraid of the youth’s anger and that is why it accepted their demand, “he said while taunting that elections are near and hence they are talking about jobs. ‘’But the result will not come even after voting,’’ he added.

The SP chief said that preparations are being made continuously for the Lok Sabha elections. “We will work to defeat 80 seats in UP and remove the BJP,” he said.

He said that both the Constitution and women’s respect would be saved and Samajwadi Mahila Sangathan would work with full honesty to make SP win in the Lok Sabha elections.

Enumerating the achievements of the SP government on women’s safety, he said that the 1090 helpline was started for the safety of women. ‘’Samajwadi Pension of Rs 500 was given. If our government had been formed, it would have given Rs 3000 per month to poor women of the state,’’ he said.