Ram devotees faced bullets once, now welcomed with flowers: Yogi

Ram devotees once faced bullets and lathi-charges, but today they are welcomed with flower showers, chief minister Yogi Adityanath said in Ayodhya on Thursday.

- HT Correspondent

AYODHYA: Ram devotees once faced bullets and lathi-charges, but today they are welcomed with flower showers, chief minister Yogi Adityanath said in Ayodhya on Thursday.

He was addressing a gathering at Ram Katha Park after the pran pratishtha of the Ram Darbar held earlier in the day on the first floor of the Ram temple.

"Pran pratishtha of Ram Lalla on January 22, 2024, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, marked the end of a 500-year-long wait and symbolised the restoration of India's ancient glory," Adityanath said.

"Ayodhya has transitioned into a global symbol of 'Atithi Devo Bhava' in recent years. Once Ram devotees faced bullets and lathi-charges. Today, they are welcomed with flower showers and served RO-purified water," the chief minister said.

Adityanath described Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the "Bhagirath of modern India", crediting him for the success of the Namami Gange campaign.

"Before 2014, the Ganga was severely polluted due to the unplanned and unscientific activities of previous governments. But through Namami Gange, the river has regained its purity and uninterrupted flow. Over 66 crore (660 million) devotees witnessed this during the Mahakumbh in Prayagraj," the chief minister said.