PTILucknow: Known to have Muslims as its core vote bank, the Samajwadi Party is now actively posturing to associate itself with the Hindu religion and rid of the perception of working only for the Muslim community, ahead of the 2022 Uttar Pradesh assembly elections.
The party has come under fire multiple times in the last few years from BJP leaders for having allegedly led attacks on the kar sewaks in Ayodhya, signalling the party to be "anti-Hindus".
On a trip to Chitrakoot last week, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav visited the Kamdhenu temple, did a circumambulation of the Kamadgiri and met saints and sought their blessings.
Addressing a press conference, Yadav announced that if elected to power, the party’s government would beautify Chitrakoot, develop the Lakshman Pahadi on an international level and give pension to artists involved in Ramlila, without any discrimination on the basis of religion or caste.
Last month, Yadav had visited Ayodhya on his way back from Azamgarh to Lucknow, and said he would go there again with his family. "Lord Ram belongs to the SP as much as anyone else," Yadav had said.
While political experts and SP insiders claim Yadav and the family to be deeply religious, they say it was the BJP's claim to be a friend of Hindus and its effort to paint all other parties as anti-Hindu which had prompted the party to prove its Hindu credentials.
The party has come under fire multiple times in the last few years from BJP leaders for having allegedly led attacks on the kar sewaks in Ayodhya, signalling the party to be "anti-Hindus".
On a trip to Chitrakoot last week, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav visited the Kamdhenu temple, did a circumambulation of the Kamadgiri and met saints and sought their blessings.
Addressing a press conference, Yadav announced that if elected to power, the party’s government would beautify Chitrakoot, develop the Lakshman Pahadi on an international level and give pension to artists involved in Ramlila, without any discrimination on the basis of religion or caste.
Last month, Yadav had visited Ayodhya on his way back from Azamgarh to Lucknow, and said he would go there again with his family. "Lord Ram belongs to the SP as much as anyone else," Yadav had said.
While political experts and SP insiders claim Yadav and the family to be deeply religious, they say it was the BJP's claim to be a friend of Hindus and its effort to paint all other parties as anti-Hindu which had prompted the party to prove its Hindu credentials.
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