Lucknow, November 19: Uttar Pradesh Cabinet Minister Laxmi Narayan Chaudhary on Monday said India has become a superpower due to Lord Ram and asserted that the nation owes its identity to him (Lord Ram). In an interview, the minister said the construction work of the Ram temple in Ayodhya must begin at the earliest and once the temple is built in Ayodhya, it would “restore the glorious history” of the town, adding that, the public sentiment across the country was in favour of building it.

According to a report by PTI, the minister added saying that whether it is the government or any other institution (in the country), everyone must respect the public sentiment. “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 was quoted by PTIUma Bharti Says Right Time to Construct Ram Mandir in Ayodhya With Narendra Modi at Centre & Yogi Adityanath in UP. 

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”. Meanwhile, UP religious affairs, culture, minority welfare, Muslim waqf and Haj minister was quoted in the report saying that 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 added. Ayodhya Act 1993: When Congress Passed Law For Construction of Ram Mandir And BJP Opposed it.

The UP minister further added saying that Lord Ram is a personality, which is incomparable -- be it as a son or a warrior, he is our role model. 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. He said it was only after Yogi Adityanath became the chief minister of UP that attention was paid for the beautification of Ayodhya and to enhance its grandeur. He claimed that in the last 100 years, no work was done for the development of Ayodhya and it was virtually left to its own fate.

(With inputs from PTI)

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 19, 2018 03:46 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).