EC ban: Yogi goes temple hopping, Akhilesh, Mayawati fume at poll panel

Over the past three-days, during the 72 hour prohibition that commenced from 0600 hrs on Tuesday, Adityanath has visited Lord Ram and Hanuman temples in Lucknow and Ayodhya

The 72-hour electioneering ban slapped by the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister (CM) Yogi Adityanath over inflammatory remarks saw the star campaigner of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) making the most of it by going on a whirlwind tour of famous temples across the state.

However, his political opponents, including Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Samajwadi Party (SP) presidents Mayawati and Akhilesh Yadav, respectively, are fuming at the ECI over the wide media coverage given to such high optic visits.

Over the past three days during the 72-hour prohibition that commenced from 0600 hrs on Tuesday (April 16), Adityanath has been visiting Lord Ram and Hanuman temples in Lucknow and Ayodhya.

On the first day, the CM visited the revered Hanuman Setu Temple situated on the banks of river Gomti in Lucknow and offered prayers. This was barely an hour before Union Home Minister and local BJP candidate Rajnath Singh filed his nomination papers from the state capital amid a massive roadshow.

The saffron party leaders have defended the CM’s visit to temples, saying the ECI had restrained Adityanath from public speaking or media interaction, and not offering prayers.

On the second day of the gag on Wednesday, the CM visited the Ram Janmabhoomi in Ayodhya and also met prominent saints and seers, including Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas chief Mahant Nrityagopal Das.

Besides, Adityanath had lunch at a Dalit household in the temple town. The family had been provided accommodation under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana.

On Thursday, Adityanath was scheduled to visit the famous Sankat Mochan temple in Varanasi before returning to Lucknow.

Meanwhile, Akhilesh has criticised news channels for covering his temple visits during the ECI ban. Interacting with the media at the party headquarters on Wednesday evening, while announcing the candidature of Poonam Sinha — the wife of actor-turned-politician Shatrughan Sinha, from Lucknow — Akhilesh observed action should be taken against such news channels covering Adityanath’s temple run.

Mayawati has also put the ECI in the dock over Adityanath’s temple sojourns. The BSP president was also slapped a campaigning ban of 48 hours along with the CM for breaching the model code of conduct.

In her Twitter feed on Thursday, Mayawati noted despite the ECI ban, Adityanath was touring different towns and temples, and indulging in ‘theatrics’ of eating at Dalit households for gaining political mileage out of the media coverage, while the ECI turned a blind eye.

Apart from Adityanath and Mayawati, two more politicians in the fray viz., BJP’s Maneka Gandhi and SP’s Azam Khan from Sultanpur and Rampur constituencies, respectively, were also prohibited from electioneering for 48 hours and 72 hours over objectionable speeches made in their public meetings.

During their gag period, Mayawati, Azam, and Maneka avoided the public eye unlike Adityanath.