Samajwadi Party MP Akhilesh Yadav, taking a dig at the BJP, asked why he was repeatedly targeted with questions about whether he had visited the newly inaugurated Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, saying that he has a Ram temple inside his house like everyone else. He pointed out that he found it unwise to be subjected to these questions repeatedly.
“They lack understanding. All of us have temples, including me. I think that the eyes of BJP leaders are shut. Is it wise to ask each and every time whether I have visited Ram Mandir in Ayodhya?” Akhilesh Yadav told India Today TV.
Speaking to India Today TV, Akhilesh also dismissed allegations that he was trying to influence Hindu voters ahead of the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections through the construction of Kedareshwar Mahadev Mandir in Etawah.
He emphasised that his real motivation stemmed from a personal experience during the Covid pandemic, saying, “During Covid, I was watching a documentary on Netflix on how water came and thousands of people died in the 2013 Kedarnath floods.”
“I was CM and I helped in my best capacity. Later, a thought struck me to build a temple. If it is a thought, it is only from God that I am receiving it. When I discussed it with architects and others, they were worried about the finances. But I was adamant and went ahead with the project and acquired land,” he further told India Today TV.
He explained that, by God’s grace, the temple stands on land aligned with what he described as the Shiva Axis, a spiritual concept connecting prominent Shiva temples from Kedarnath to Rameshwaram.
Akhilesh Yadav noted that the inspiration for Kedareshwar came from the Kedarnath temple. He added that once the Kedareshwar Mandir is completed, he intends to visit other temples, saying, “Will visit Ram Mandir when our temple project is done… And, in the meantime, if God calls, I will go,” and continued, “When this temple is finally inaugurated, we will go and visit other temples as well.”
AKHILESH YADAV’S CHALLENGE TO BJP
Akhilesh Yadav observed that at Kedarnath, there is a child-like form of Lord Krishna at the entrance, but the other side remains empty. He said that in Etawah, the new temple will have child-like forms of Sri Ram and Lord Krishna, and issued a challenge: “I will ask BJP people, if they are true bhakts, to install Sri Ram’s child-like form at Kedarnath temple’s entrance.”
Pointing out instances where temples in Uttar Pradesh were reportedly purified after visits by Samajwadi Party leaders, including himself, Yadav slammed the BJP, saying that those who “make people bathe in Ganga jaal after their party leaders visit temples can never be good.”
– Ends
Published By:
Sayan Ganguly
Published On:
Dec 10, 2025
