Arvind Kejriwal made the announcement soon after return from Ayodhya
The Delhi government has included Ayodhya in the list of destinations covered by its free pilgrimage scheme for the elderly as the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) tries to reach out to Hindu voters ahead of the Assembly polls due next year, including in politically significant Uttar Pradesh.
Chief Minister and AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal announced in a video message that the proposal to put Ayodhya on the list was passed in a cabinet meeting today.
"So far, the list included Jagannath Puri, Shirdi, Amritsar, Jammu, Dwarka, Tirupati, Rameshwaram, Haridwar, Mathura and Bodhgaya. Now Ayodhya has also been included," he said in the video message posted on Twitter.
Mr Kejriwal said that under the Mukhya Mantri Tirath Yatra Yojana, the Delhi government pays for the travel, lodging and sightseeing of the elderly visiting pilgrimage sites. "Beneficiaries are taken to their destinations on AC trains. There they are lodged in good AC hotels. Their food, local travel, all costs are borne by the Delhi government," he said, adding that 35,000 people have visited pilgrimage sites under this scheme so far.
The AAP leader had promised to include Ayodhya in the list of destinations during his visit to the Ram Janmabhoomi site there yesterday.
"I have just returned from Ayodhya after Ram Lalla's darshan. I will try my best to ensure that more people can go to Ayodhya for the darshan. I will try to be everyone's Shravan Kumar," he said. A mythological figure in Hindu epic Ramayana, Shravan Kumar epitomises respect and devotion towards parents.
Mr Kejriwal further said that the scheme was suspended for the past one-and-a-half years owing to the Covid pandemic and that it will soon be back on track.