Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh has announced to name roads in the name of Karsewaks who laid their lives during the Ram Mandir movement. The Deputy Chief Minister and in charge of public works department (PWD) Keshaw Prasad Maurya made an announcement in regard during his visit to Ayodhya on Tuesday. Opposition parties termed it as nothing but a poll gimmick.
The chairperson of congress minority department in UP, Shahnawaj Alam said that several thousands of people had come to Ayodhya during the temple movement and many of them died. The Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) never bothered about their families and no help was provided to them. The BJP leaders only remember these Karsewaks at the time of elections.
He said, "It would be better to take care of the families of those who laid their lives in the temple movement rather than naming roads after them". Shahnawaj said that whenever elections approach BJP starts making such announcements but forgets it soon.
The national spokesperson of Samajwadi Party, IP Singh said that it is nothing but a poll gimmick and people will not fall in the trap of BJP now. He said, "Many of the Karsewaks who died were the only earning members of their families but BJP despite being in power, did nothing for them".
It may be mentioned that DY CM Maurya had visited Ram Janambhoomi temple on Tuesday and announced that to remember the martyrdom of Karsewaks, road will be named after them.
Maurya said that Karsewaks had come to Ayodhya in 1990 and wanted to offer prayers of Ram. The then SP government had fired bullets at these devotees and many had died. He said that the portraits of Karsewaks would be displayed on these roads. Earlier the UP PWD had announced roads after the name of topper students of high school and intermediate classes. The state government is constructing road in the name of Swami Vivkeanand too.