'They called Lord Ram a myth': CM Yogi slams Congress, SP at Ayodhya Deepotsav; recalls bullets fired at devotees

NEW DELHI: Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday launched a fierce attack on the Congress and Samajwadi Party, accusing them of “insulting India’s eternal faith” and obstructing the Ram Janmabhoomi movement.

Speaking at the ninth edition of Deepotsav-2025 in Shri Ayodhya Dham, the chief minister framed the festival as both a spiritual celebration and a symbolic triumph of truth over falsehood.

'They called Lord Ram a myth'

Addressing thousands gathered amid the glow of millions of diyas, CM Yogi alleged that both Congress and SP had worked to “erase Ayodhya’s identity” and hinder the construction of the Ram Temple.“While we are illuminating Ayodhya with millions of lamps, we must not forget that during the Ram Janmabhoomi movement, the Congress party declared in court that Lord Shri Ram was a myth.

The Congress party gave an affidavit in the Supreme Court stating that Shri Ram was a myth, and the Samajwadi Party had fired bullets at Ram devotees in this very Ayodhya,” he said.

He accused the opposition of double standards, saying, “These are the same people who pray at Babar’s tomb but rejected the invitation to the consecration ceremony of Ram Lalla in the temple at Ayodhya.”

'They erased Ayodhya’s identity'

Continuing his criticism, CM Yogi said the opposition parties had for decades attempted to undermine the spiritual heritage of Ayodhya.

“We must remember their double standards. These are the same people who, during the Ram Mandir movement, deployed separate advocates to prevent the construction of the temple in Ayodhya, so they could protest and create obstacles in the path of the Ram Mandir. But today we can say they fired bullets; we are lighting lamps in Ayodhya,” he said.

He further claimed that the previous governments had “erased Ayodhya’s identity” by renaming it Faizabad.

“We have restored the name and legacy of Ayodhya, making it Ayodhya Dham again,” he added.

'A festival of truth and faith'

Reflecting on the origins of Deepotsav, CM Yogi recalled the humble beginnings of the celebration when his government revived the tradition in 2017.“When we decided in 2017 to organise the first Deepotsav in Ayodhya Dham, the sentiment behind it was singular: to show the world how lamp-lighting should be done and on what occasion it should be celebrated,” he said.He added that the festival symbolised a return to India’s ancient roots: “Thousands of years ago, when the world was living in darkness, Ayodhya had lit lamps to welcome its Lord, its deity, and the arrival of its faith--those very lamps became the great festival of Sanatana Dharma in the form of Deepotsav and Deepawali.”

From 1.71 lakh diyas to millions

The chief minister also recalled the logistical challenges faced during the inaugural Deepotsav.“When we decided to carry forward that campaign again to keep the spirit of Deepotsav alive, in 2017 we did not have sufficient lamps. We collected lamps from across the state and managed to light 1.71 lakh diyas. Today, millions of lamps are lit in Ayodhya Dham,” he said, calling it a symbol of “the awakening of faith and pride in Indian culture.”