Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has hinted that meat and liquor can be banned in Ayodhya, where the grand Ram Mandir will be inaugurated next year. He has not specifically discussed any such action but mentioned that Ayodhya is a sacred city and there these items should not be allowed. “In accordance with the feelings of the populace, meat and alcohol use should be prohibited here,” he stated during his visit to the city on Wednesday.
The proposal comes two years after banning meat and alcohol in Mathura in Uttar Pradesh. In September 2021, CM Yogi Adityanath had announced a ban on the sale of liquor and meat within 10 square km radius area around Krishna Janmabhoomi in Mathura. Similar bans are also in place in Haridwar and Rishikesh in Uttarakhand.
Ayodhya is home to the Ram temple, and efforts are in full swing to turn it into the country’s religious capital. The government of Yogi Adityanath is putting forth a lot of work in this regard. Ayodhya is intended to serve as a showcase for urban development, he announced, stressing that in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision, the spiritual city will be a global centre for peace. The administration’s principal priority is global development. He remarked that people in the nation and throughout the world are eager to visit “Divine, Grand, Navya Ayodhya.”
He travelled to Ayodhya for a two-day tour to assess the progress of Ram temple construction as well as the development of other projects. He highlighted during the review meeting that Ayodhya is currently home to hundreds of crores worth of public interest initiatives.
He pointed out, “We must make sure that every visitor to Ayodhya, whether a devotee or a tourist, leaves with a unique sense of joy, fulfilment, and tranquilly.” He also urged the police to protect regular people and emphasised the importance of demonstrating consideration for tourists and devotees. Furthermore, he reiterated that law and order should be strengthened and instructions were issued for the same.
The statement of the chief minister is justified, according to a Bharatiya Janata Party legislator who participated in the meeting. “Ayodhya is a holy city that will one day become the spiritual capital of the world. This place has to be meat and alcohol-free,” he noted.
Yogi Adityanath arrived in Hanumangarhi, worshipped in the temple and afterwards went to the still-under-construction Shri Ram Janmabhoomi temple. He met with the saints and inquired about their well-being. He was informed about the construction work of the grand temple on behalf of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Trust.
He and the trust representatives also addressed the preparations for the installation of Lord Ram’s idol in the temple. He also went to Karsevakapuram on Thursday morning to meet Champat Rai, the general secretary of the trust and talked about the construction of the temple.
Surya Pratap Shahi, the state government’s minister of agriculture, Anil Mishra, and senior Vishva Hindu Parishad member Purushottam Narayan Singh were also present on the occasion. The trust periodically updates the public on the status of the Ram Mandir construction. It has been reported that the first floor’s construction is expected to be wrapped up by October.
He interacted with around a dozen senior government officials during his trip. The status of development initiatives carried out in Ayodhya was examined by additional chief secretaries and principal secretaries of different departments, who also touched on the religious and cultural significance of Ayodhya. The guidelines for transforming Ayodhya into a “model city of urban development” were also provided.
He was informed that 30% of the four-laning of the National Highway (NH)-27 bypass from Tedhi Bazar Shri Ram Janmabhoomi through Mohbra Bazar has been completed and 95 per cent work is accomplished. The work from Ayodhya Sultanpur National Highway NH-330 to Purushottam Bhagwan Shri Ram International Airport has been concluded. More than 84 per cent of the runway work at Maryada Purushottam Shriram International Airport has been finished. The chief minister gave the order to expedite the construction process.
The grand Ram Temple is scheduled to be inaugurated in January of next year and the prime minister along with other dignitaries is likely to be invited for the auspicious ceremony.
