Lucknow/Ayodhya: A group of seers in Ayodhya have said they would not allow SP chief Akhilesh Yadav to visit the temple town unless he tendered an apology over firing on kar sevaks during his party’s govt in Uttar Pradesh in 1990.More than 150 local saints and seers gathered at Maniram Das Chavani in Ayodhya on Wednesday to register their protest against the SP chief. Saints and mahants from prominent mutts and ashrams voiced their resentment over the incident that took place during the Ram Janmabhoomi movement in 1990.Akhilesh Yadav is scheduled to make his first visit to the Ram Temple along with wife and Mainpuri MP Dimple Yadav on Dec 12.While clarifying that they do not oppose the couple’s decision to seek the blessings of Ram Lalla, the seers said Akhilesh Yadav should apologise to the families of kar sevaks killed in the police firing during Mulayam govt.Mahant Rajkumar Das of Ram Vallabh Kunj, a member of the Dharmik Samiti (religious committee) of the Ram Temple Trust, was among the saints who registered their protest.In his statement, Das said Lord Ram belongs to everyone and no one should be stopped from offering prayers. However, he added that Akhilesh Yadav should clarify his stand on the 1990 firing. The saints maintained that the sacrifices of the kar sevaks cannot be overlooked.Some saints declared that Akhilesh should not be allowed to enter Ayodhya’s traditional five-kos boundary unless he apologises for the incident. Mahant Kamal Nayan Das, who presided over the meeting, said the proposed visit should not ignore the legacy of the Ram Temple movement.
