2 min readLucknowJun 28, 2026 05:48 PM IST
At a time when the Samajwadi Party (SP) is attempting to corner the BJP over the alleged Ram Temple donation irregularities and claim credit for exposing the issue, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath Saturday sought to shift the focus from Ayodhya to Mathura.
“Ab Mathura ki baat kariye (Now, talk about Mathura),” said Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in Hathras, where he also inaugurated development projects.
“Just like the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi movement, a similar campaign should be run to liberate Shri Krishna Janma Bhoomi,” Adityanath said.
Addressing a public gathering in Hathras, Adityanath dismissed SP chief Akhilesh Yadav’s recent statement that an SP government would develop Ayodhya as a “religious city”, arguing that Ayodhya’s transformation had already been achieved through the Ram Janmabhoomi movement and the construction of the Ram Mandir under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership.
Invoking the 1990 firing on kar sevaks during the Mulayam Singh Yadav government, the chief minister contrasted the SP’s past with the BJP’s role in building the Ram Mandir, saying Ayodhya today evokes the memory of “Treta Yug” because of the efforts of Ram devotees.
From Ayodhya to Mathura
In what appears to be a significant political message, Adityanath indicated that the ideological focus should now extend to Mathura and the Shri Krishna Janma Bhoomi.
The chief minister directly challenged the Samajwadi Party to publicly support the demand for the liberation of the Shri Krishna Janma Bhoomi, drawing a parallel with the Ram Janma Bhoomi movement.
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Claiming that the state government was already working towards preserving the religious heritage of Mathura on a war footing, Adityanath accused the SP of lacking the political courage to support such issues and added, “You do not have the courage to support such a movement.”
Political experts said Adityanath’s remarks mark an attempt by the BJP to shift the political discourse away from the allegations surrounding the Ram Temple donation system, signalling what could emerge as the BJP’s next major ideological plank ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections.
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