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.
AAP's 7 'Revdis' Ahead Of Delhi Polls: Electricity, Education, Water Fact Check: Newspaper Clippings Claiming Uddhav Thackeray Apologised For 1992 Riots Are Fake AAP "Fishing In Congress' Waters" As Arvind Kejriwal Plots Re-Election Bid Amazon Employee Greets Friend At Wedding, Dies Of Cardiac Arrest "Violation Of Sovereignty, Abuse Of Power": Kanwal Sibal On US Report On Adani Group Indian Student In US Accidentally Shoots Himself Dead While Celebrating Birthday 5 Things To Know About Pam Bondi, Trump's New Choice For Attorney General Has There Been An Undercount Of Punjab Farm Fires? What Satellite Pics Show Speed, Range, Threat: All About Russia's Oreshnik Missile Fired On Ukraine Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.