NEW DELHI: Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday accused the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Congress of spreading “propaganda” against Ayodhya, claiming that the two opposition parties were “uncomfortable” with the development of the temple town and the infrastructure projects being undertaken across the state.“People are now maligning Ayodhya out of fear. They are spreading propaganda against Ayodhya because they know that if this journey of heritage and development continues in the same manner, the politics of the Samajwadi Party and the Congress will be buried forever,” PTI quoted the chief minister as sayiing. He was addressing a Diwali programme in Gorakhpur.“Those who once created an identity crisis for the state will now face a crisis of their own political identity. If this journey continues with the same strength and unity, the Congress and the Samajwadi Party will themselves face an identity crisis,” he added.Adityanath’s remarks came a day after he took an apparent swipe at Samajwadi Party president and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav over his proposed visit to the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.According to SP leader Pawan Pandey, Akhilesh Yadav and his family will visit the temple on December 12 to offer prayers.Also Read | Akhilesh, Dimple Yadav to visit Ram Temple in Ayodhya on Dec 12, says SP leader Pandey ahead of UP pollsThis would be the SP chief’s first visit to the Ram Temple since its inauguration in January 2024.“Those who had neglected and insulted (Ayodhya), who had opened fire on Ram devotees and subjected saints to lathi-charge, should certainly come to Ayodhya, but only after apologising. Let them apologise once to Ram devotees and once to the saints. Let them repent for their actions,” Adityanath said in Ayodhya on Saturday without naming his predecessor.

Also Read | ‘First apologise to devotees, saints’: UP CM Yogi ahead of Akhilesh Yadav’s Ram Temple visit“There was a time when even uttering the name of Shri Ram in Ayodhya invited lathis and bullets. Banning the very name of Ram in this city was a sin. Ayodhya was neglected and almost consigned to oblivion. Today, that very Ayodhya has come alive again, reminding us of the Treta Yuga,” he added.In 1990, Uttar Pradesh Police opened fire on “kar sevaks” (volunteers) marching towards the Babri Mosque, which stood at the erstwhile disputed site in Ayodhya. Akhilesh Yadav’s father Mulayam Singh Yadav was Uttar Pradesh chief minister at the time.The mosque was demolished on December 6, 1992.In November 2019, a Constitution bench of the Supreme Court ruled in favour of the construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.