Ayodhya yatra aimed at furthering political ends: UP minister

Lucknow, Aug 23: Alleging that BJP, RSS and VHP were using saints as a ruse to fulfill their political ambitions, Samajwadi Party on Thursday said it would not allow the saffron brigade to communalise the state's atmosphere through the proposed Chaurasi Kosi yatra.

"BJP has made a political conspiracy to polarise voters through the proposed Chaurasi Kosi yatra," SP spokesman and UP Cabinet minister Rajendra Chowdhury told reporters.

Alleging that the Congress-led government at the Centre was keeping mum over the yatra, much like it had in 1992 when the Babri mosque was demolished, Chowdhury said it seemed that Congress, too, had some self-interest in the yatra.

The Akhilesh Yadav government in the state was committed to development and it would not allow any activity which could vitiate the atmosphere, he said, adding that his party would not allow BJP to turn UP into Gujarat.

PTI