EC ban on, Yogi lands in Ayodhya, meets sants

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is making the most of the 72-hour campaigning ban imposed on him by the Election Commission.

Adityanath on Wednesday reached Ayodhya to offer prayers at the makeshift Ram Lalla temple and the Hanuman Garhi temple.

On reaching Ayodhya, Adityanath first visited a Dalit settlement and had lunch at the house of Mahavir, a beneficiary of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana.

He also met Ram Janambhoomi Nyas President Mahant Nritya Gopal Das before spending some time at the Digambar Akhada where he met Mahant Suresh Das.

On Tuesday, he had visited the Hanuman Setu temple in Lucknow where he recited the Hanuman Chalisa.

"The Chief Minister's programme includes visits to Ram Janambhoomi and Hanuman Garhi temple. He will also meet VHP religious leaders in Ayodhya," BJP district president in Ayodhya, Avadhesh Pandey, said.

In the evening, Adityanath will go to Devipatan, a temple of Goddess Durga in Balrampur district, where he will make a night stay.

The BJP termed the Chief Minister's visit to the temple town as 'personal'.

The Election Commission on Monday had barred Yogi Adityanath from campaigning for 72 hours starting 6 a.m. Tuesday for his 'divisive' comments at a rally in Meerut.

Adityanath had said at the rally, "If the Congress, the Samajwadi Party and the BSP have faith in Ali, we have faith in Bajrang Bali."

--IANS

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