Public sentiment on Ayodhya should be respected, temple should be built: UP minister

Public sentiment on the Ayodhya issue should be respected and a Ram temple should be built in the town, a senior Uttar Pradesh cabinet minister said Monday.

Laxmi Narayan Chaudhary, the state religious affairs, culture, minority welfare, Muslim waqf and Haj minister, said the construction of the temple would restore the "glorious history" of Ayodhya, with lakhs of tourists visiting the place.

"Whether it is the government or any other institution (in the country), everyone must respect the public sentiment. And, the public sentiment, which is prevailing across the country, wants that the construction work of the Ram temple in Ayodhya must begin at the earliest," Chaudhary told PTI in an interview here.


Claiming that the entire world was keeping a watch over the developments, Chaudhary affirmed the country "owes its identity to Lord Ram".

"As soon as a grand Ram temple is built in Ayodhya, it will restore the glorious history of Ayodhya. Subsequently, lakhs of tourists will visit the place and it will eventually give a boost to tourism in the temple town," he said.

The minister said the aim of the recently-organised 'Deepotsav' in Ayodhya was to send a message across the globe that "people should learn a lesson from the life of the Maryada Purushottam, who made India a global superpower".

"Lord Ram is a personality, which is incomparable -- be it as a son or a warrior. Lord Ram is our role model... It was due to Lord Ram that India became a global superpower," Chaudhary said.

The minister claimed that during the Mughal rule, British rule and even after decades of Independence, no attention was paid for the development of Ayodhya.

"It was only after Yogi Adityanath became the UP chief minister that attention was paid for the beautification of Ayodhya and to enhance its grandeur. In the last 100 years, no work was done for development of Ayodhya and it was virtually left to its own fate."