Ayodhya: UP CM Yogi Adityanath performs 'arti' of the artists dressed as Lord Ram, Sita and Laxman

LUCKNOW/AYODHYA: A day after renaming Faizabad as Ayodhya , UP CM Yogi Adityanath gave a further push to BJP’s Hindutva agenda by announcing to set up a grand statue of Lord Ram in the temple town.

People come to Ayodhya for 'darshan' (viewing), 'smaran (remembering) of Lord Ram and the statue will fulfill that purpose, Yogi told reporters on Wednesday in Ayodhya.

On the issue of constructing a Ram temple in Ayodhya, Yogi said: “Mandir tha, hai, aur rahega". (There was Ram mandir, there is Ram mandir and there will be Ram mandir in Ayodhya)

He said that the government will explore options to construct a Ram mandir under the constitutional framework. “Government respects the beliefs of Ayodhya. All Hindu seers are with us,” he said.

Yogi said that the recognition of Ayodhya is from Shri Ram.

Read also: Treta Yug recreated in temple town

Earlier in the day, Yogi visited the spot proposed for the statue of Lord Ram. He also visited prominent temples including Ram Janambhoomi, Hanuman Garhi temple and Kanak Bhawan.

The state government has already kicked off the project by seeking presentations from some of the companies. Speculations are rife about the statue being 150 metres tall standing on a 50-metre pedestal.

