Good governance — or “Ram Rajya” — will return to Ayodhya, which was neglected by successive state governments, UP Chief Minister Adityanath said at the grand Diwali celebrations in the temple town on Wednesday.

Ram Katha Park

Addressing a large gathering at Ram Katha Park after laying foundation of various tourism-related projects worth Rs 133 crore, he said although Ayodhya introduced the concept of Diwali to the world, the town itself has always looked with doubts and suspicion. Adityanath said, “Pradesh sarkar vikas ke madhyam se Ram Rajya ki parikalpana saakar karna chahti hai (The government wants to bring Ram Rajya through development).” He said, “Maanavta ka kalyan hi Ram Rajya hai. Kendra evam Rajya sarkar vibhinna yojnaon aur karyakramon ke maadhyam se manav kalyan ka karya kar rahi hai (welfare of humanity is Ram Rajya. Both the central and the state government are working on human welfare through various schemes and programmes).”

“That was Ravan Raaj,” Adityanath said, “when discrimination was done on the basis of one’s caste, family and region.”

Defining Ram Rajya as the state of affairs when a family gets power connection 70 years after Independence , and the poor get LPG connection, he said in the past, successive governments had showered certain districts with a bounty. As a result, while some districts received 24-hour power supply, the rest of the state remained ignored — Ayodhya, he claimed, received only an hour or two’s electricity supply on any given day over the last 15 years.

CM Yogi Adityanath

“That was Ravan Raaj,” Adityanath said, “when discrimination was done on the basis of one’s caste, family and region.”

The situation, he said, has improved under his government, and if the feeder supports, Ayodhya could get 24-hour power supply in future. Past governments had done discrimination in distribution of power supply and in development, he added.

Yogi Adityanath said his Cabinet colleagues and saints from Ayodhya will work on accomplishing this mission.

Stating that Ayodhya had showered with “negativity” and been a subject of intense “negative debate” over the years, Adityanath said, “We have launched a campaign to take it towards positivity. That is why we are all assembled here today.” He said his Cabinet colleagues and saints from Ayodhya will work on accomplishing this mission.

Without mentioning Ram temple, Adityanath said, “Aapki bhavnaon ka ek-ek kar samman ho raha hai…ek-ek kar saare karya ho rahe hain. Aap keval intezar karein (your feelings are honoured, work is being done one after another; all you have to do is wait).”

Deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya said, “Sarvochcha nyayalaya ka faisla jab bhi aayega, athwa samjhaute ke adhar par jab bhi avsar aayega, bhavya Ram-lalla ka mandir bhi banega. Lekin aaj jo kaam hamko karna hai woh kaam karne se hamey koi rok nehin sakta (Whenever the SC’s decision comes, or whenever thereis an opportunity for any agreement, a grand Ram temple will be built. But today no one can stop us from doing what we want to do.)”