Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], March 26 (ANI): Calling Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi a 'namuna' (specimen) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath alleged that the party wanted to keep 'controversy' alive in Ayodhya.

In an interview with ANI, Chief Minister Adityanath raised questions on the work done by the Congress in the last ten decades.

'Ek Bharat ko Shresht Bharat nahi hona chahiye? You should ask them, then, what were they doing for six to ten decades? He should have asked his grandfather, grandmother and father. Why didn't they do it at that time? The whole of India is getting support from Modi ji. Why didn't the Congress do this? They always wanted to let the Ayodhya controversy remain a controversy. In Kashi's Sankri Gali, they have been doing politics all their life in the name of Gandhi ji. But in 1916, Gandhi made strong remarks on Kashi's Sankri Gali. Why did they not fulfil the dream of Mahatma Gandhi? His dream was fulfilled by PM Modi. Why did the Congress not abolish the three-talaq? Why did the Congress not promote the Kumbh with so much pride and divinity? Why did Congress fail to provide the world-class model of infrastructure in the country? And in Ayodhya, the construction of the Ram Mandir has also been done. Everyone is getting a glimpse of a new Ayodhya. Lakhs of people are coming every day to see it,' CM Adityanath told ANI.

The Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister further dubbed Rahul Gandhi's 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' as 'Bharat Todo Abhiyan' and said that everyone was aware of his intentions.

'The Bharat Jodo Yatra is part of Bharat Todo Abhiyan. He criticises India outside India. The country has understood his nature and intentions. In India's politics, Bharatiya Janata Party ke liye Rahul jaise kuch namune rehne chahiye jisse ek rasta hamesha ke liye saaf hota rahe aur acha rahe,' he added.

Rahul Gandhi had commenced the first leg of the Bharat Jodo Yatra from Kanyakumari on September 7, 2022 and concluded it on January 30 in Srinagar after covering 3,970 km, 12 states, and two Union territories and having lasted more than 130 days.

The Uttar Pradesh CM also attacked Congress ally and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and said that those who praised Jinnah shouldn't teach us history.

'In our culture, it is said that the one who worships will become like that. We respect Ram, Krishna, Shiva, and worship them. So, in a way, their good qualities are also with us by their grace. Those (Opposition) who respect Aurangzeb and Babar will be able to see those qualities in them. People have seen it with their own eyes, and they will see it in the future as well. We know the history of those who glorify Jinnah. We remember that in this same Uttar Pradesh, we were joining the program of the run-up for the unity of the people's leader, Vallabhbhai Patel. We had invited all the people of the country for this. We invited the BJP and all the parties. On the one hand, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, who is the ideal of India's unity, is the symbol of the unity of India. We expressed our faith in him, and these people glorified Jinnah. So this is the same category; this is the same breed that worships Babar, Aurangzeb, and Jinnah. So what will be their feelings towards the country? What will be their feelings towards India's heritage? What will be their feelings towards the great men of India? This can be seen from this. And these people are opportunistic,' CM Adityanath said.

In November 2021, the Samajwadi Party chief had said, 'Sardar Patel, Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and (Muhammad Ali) Jinnah studied in the same institute and became barristers. They helped (India) get freedom and never backed away from any struggle.' (ANI)