Ayodhya’s Diwali Lights Spark Political Firestorm After Akhilesh Yadav’s Comments

Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav ignited a fierce political controversy on October 18, 2025, by questioning the government's expenditure on Diwali lamps in Ayodhya and suggesting India emulate extended Christmas illuminations worldwide, prompting sharp rebuttals from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) accusing him of undermining Hindu traditions. Yadav's comments, delivered during a public address in Kannauj amid preparations for the Festival of Lights on October 20, 2025, come as Ayodhya gears up for a record-breaking display of 2,611,101 diyas (earthen lamps) along Ram Ki Paidi and 56 ghats on the Saryu River, aiming to eclipse the Guinness World Record of 2,001,501 lamps set in 2023. Officials estimate the event, symbolising Lord Ram's homecoming, will draw over 5 million devotees, boosting local tourism by Rs 500 crore through handicrafts and hospitality, per Uttar Pradesh Tourism Department projections.

In his speech, Yadav invoked Lord Ram while critiquing the spectacle: "Across the world, all cities get illuminated during Christmas, and that goes on for months. We should learn from them. Why do we have to spend money on lamps and candles and put so much thought into it?" He further lamented, "What can we expect from this government? It should be removed. We will make sure that there are more beautiful lights," blending fiscal prudence with a call for aesthetic upgrades.

The remark, interpreted by critics as belittling Diwali's cultural essence, draws from Ayodhya's transformation since the 2024 Ram Mandir inauguration, a BJP flagship project that has revitalised the temple town's economy from Rs 1,000 crore pre-2019 to an expected Rs 85,000 crore by 2030, according to a NITI Aayog study. Yadav's suggestion reflects SP's ongoing narrative of prioritising welfare over symbolism, echoing his 2022 election promises of job-focused governance amid UP's 7.5% unemployment rate.

The BJP swiftly condemned Yadav, framing his words as symptomatic of an "anti-Hindutva" bias. National spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla retorted, X: "Ayodhya was kept in darkness during the Samajwadi Party's rule in UP. The then Samajwadi Party government had opened fire on Ram devotees in the past. Now, when Ayodhya is shining, Akhilesh Yadav is having a problem." He contrasted Ayodhya's resurgence with SP's alleged extravagance, like the Saifai cultural festivals costing Rs 100 crore annually during Yadav's 2012-17 tenure.

VHP spokesperson Vinod Bansal escalated the rhetoric, accusing Yadav of "glorifying foreign traditions over Indian culture": "The rows of diyas have burnt his heart so much that he is preaching to 1 billion Hindus, saying, 'Don't waste money on diyas and candles; learn from Christmas.'" Bansal labelled Yadav a "messiah of jihadis and conversion gangs", tying into broader Hindutva concerns over Christian missionary activities, with VHP reporting over 10,000 alleged conversions in UP in 2024.

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The exchange underscores deepening polarisation in Uttar Pradesh ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections, where BJP holds a slim 273-seat majority after the 2024 Lok Sabha drubbing that halved its tally to 33. Ayodhya's Diwali, post-Mandir consecration by PM Narendra Modi, symbolises BJP's cultural nationalism, drawing 1.2 crore pilgrims in the past year and generating 50,000 jobs, per district administration data. SP, buoyed by a 37-seat Lok Sabha haul, positions itself as a secular bulwark, but such gaffes risk alienating Yadav's core Yadav-Muslim vote bank.

Social media erupted with #AyodhyaShining trending over 2 million times and memes mocking Yadav's "Christmas lecture on Diwali", while supporters countered with critiques of the BJP's Rs 2,500 crore Ram Path Corridor spend. As lamps flicker to life on October 20, this spat encapsulates the festival's dual role: a beacon of unity laced with electoral fireworks.

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