Ahead of the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections, scheduled to be held later next year, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and its top brass leaders have suddenly become Ram Bhakts. Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Monday (September 13) took to Twitter to inform that he was visiting the Ram Lalla shrine in Ayodha today.
“I am going to offer my prayers to Ram Lalla today. In Ayodhya, Lord Shri Ram set such a standard for the happiness of the people that even today ‘Ram Raj’ is considered to be the highest inspiration of clean governance and administration. I request the Lord to always preserve the purity in our thoughts.” tweeted Sisodia.
आज रामलला के दर्शन करने जा रहा हूँ. अयोध्या में प्रभु श्रीराम ने जनता की ख़ुशहाली की सत्ता का ऐसा मानक स्थापित किया कि ‘राम राज’ आज भी स्वच्छ शासन-प्रशासन की सर्वोच्च प्रेरणा माना जाता है.
प्रभु चरणों में यही विनती है कि हमारे विचारों को सदैव पवित्र बनाए रखने की कृपा बनी रहे.
— Manish Sisodia (@msisodia) September 13, 2021
Build a university instead of Ram Mandir – Manish Sisodia
This is the same Manish Sisodia who in the past, during an interview with NDTV had remarked that both Hindus and Muslims should consult together and if a consensus is reached, they should build a university in the place of Ram Mandir. That way, Hindu, Muslim, Christian students can study in the University together.
“This will ensure that the children of Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Indians and foreigners can study there… ‘Ram Rajya’ will not come by building a Ram Mandir but only through education,” said Sisodia.
यूनिवर्सिटी बनाने वाले थे न, अब क्या हुआ?
चुनाव आते ही फ़र्ज़ी राम-भक्त बन गए? pic.twitter.com/A3yKmXel2y
— Ankur Singh (Modi Ka Parivar) (@iAnkurSingh) September 13, 2021
AAP leader trying to stall construction of Ram Mandir
While AAP desperately tries to fight BJP’s nationalistic style of politics with its brand of nationalism — a relapse to its old anti-Hindu beliefs comes out in the open time and again. As reported by TFI, in June, earlier this year, AAP leader and a known motormouth Sanjay Singh had held a press conference to level serious allegations of corruption on the Ram Temple Trust in the purchase of the land.
The political opportunist leader alleged that the Trust purchased the land, measuring 1.208 hectares and located near Sadar tehsil of Ayodhya district for a price of Rs 18.50 crore from the first purchaser, who had bought it minutes earlier on March 18 this year from its original owners for a sum of Rs 2 crores.
Singh earned the ire of Shri Ram bhakts by calling members of the Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust “chanda chors” (donation thieves). While accusing the Trust members and BJP leaders of “chanda chori”, the AAP MP wrote a letter to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and sought action against those involved in the alleged “scam”.
However, the lies of Sanjay Singh were quickly busted when Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra and other individuals related to the land deal came out and released their version. On one hand, AAP tries to project itself as a Ram Bhakt while on the other hand, it simultaneously tries to stall the construction of the Ram Mandir. This duplicity is the reason the voters across the country are cross with AAP.
Hanuman Bhakt Kejriwal
Earlier this year, out of the blue, Arvind Kejriwal had dubbed himself as a ‘Hanuman Bhakt’ after posting cheap cartoons of the deity during the JNU fiasco in 2020.
“I am a devotee of Lord Ram and Hanuman. We have been following 10 principles inspired by the concept of ”Ram Rajya” to serve the people of Delhi,” Kejriwal had said.
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) February 16, 2016
Kejriwal is not the only leader to have dropped his minority appeasement charade for the UP elections. Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party have similarly adopted the new strategy of wooing the Hindus and especially Brahmins.
These parties understand that removing Yogi Adityanath might be a herculean task if they continue with their old tropes of politics and hence the sudden shift to the Ram Bhakti gang. However, the voters of UP understand their pretentiousness and will answer in kind whilst polling their votes, come to the assembly elections.