Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday said he became a monk because of the Ram Mandir movement.
“We have been associated with the (temple) movement from the beginning. However, we are not taking credit for the consecration ceremony of Lord Ram. We are going there as servants,” he said.
Addressing a conclave organized by a TV channel here, the chief minister said invitations for the temple have been extended to the opposition Congress and the Samajwadi Party. He said no one has been stopped from coming to the Ram temple. “Those who come as servants of Lord Ram are welcomed,” he remarked.
Adityanath further said, “We are fortunate that our revered Gurudev was one of the frontline warriors in the Ram Mandir movement. Even during that period, he had the leadership of this movement in mind and the Gorakhnath Peeth was with him. This movement progressed under the leadership of my guru, RSS and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad.”
“We consider ourselves fortunate to have participated in the Ram temple cause. The work that several generations could not witness has come to fruition after 500 years. Over 3 lakh people have sacrificed their lives for the temple while conflicts took place more than 76 times. People associated with the movement used to visit Gorakhnath Peeth. Today, the temple stands in front of everyone…,” he added.
The priest-turned-politician said the concept of ‘Ramrajya’ is becoming a reality. “The construction of Ram temple was challenging, but it is a manifestation of Lord Ram’s grace. This temple would have been impossible without the Narendra Modi government at the Centre,” he asserted.
Taking a dig at the opposition parties, he said even if he was not the chief minister, he would have been involved in the Ram Temple movement.
“This is not the time to take credit, Lord Ram is the ultimate divine entity,” he added.