Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Friday all but confirmed his visit to the Ram Temple next month, saying that "members of the Brahmin community" had been consulted and that he would visit Ayodhya.
"As for the date, our Pawan Pandey has consulted with many members of the Brahmin community, examined the planets (nakshatras), and drawing upon knowledge of astronomy, has determined a specific date and time, taking into account the positions of the Sun and the Moon," he told reporters in a tongue-in-cheek response.
On November 7, Pandey, a former Ayodhya MLA, said the SP chief would visit Ayodhya on December 12, an announcement that has stirred political debate in the Hindi heartland state.
The ruling BJP has been attacking Yadav for not visiting the Ram Temple, accusing him of pursuing "appeasement politics". The SP chief, meanwhile, has been vociferously alleging "chanda chori" at the temple and accusing the BJP and Sangh outfits of malfeasance.
According to Pandey, Yadav and his wife, Dimple Yadav, who is also an MP, will visit the Ram Temple and the Hanumangarhi Temple.
This would be Yadav's first visit to the Ram Temple since its inauguration in January 2024. He last visited Ayodhya, but not the temple, in October 2026 to attend a religious katha.
There has been speculation that Yadav is experimenting with "soft Hindutva" to counter the BJP, which has consistently reminded people of the police firing on kar sevaks in Ayodhya in the 1990s, when the SP government led by Mulayam Singh Yadav was in power.
Yadav has so far deflected questions about his visit to the Ram Temple, saying it would take place only after the completion of Kedareshwar Dham in Etawah, a project initiated by his government.
On Saturday, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that "those who fired on Ram devotees, subjected saints to lathicharge" should visit the Ram Temple only after apologising.
On Tuesday, UP BJP chief Pankaj Chaudhary echoed the demand.
"If this is not a new political ploy in the name of Lord Ram but genuine repentance, then visit the Ram temple on December 6, not 12," Chaudhary, also a Union minister, said on X.
Babri Masjid, where the temple now stands, was demolished by kar sevaks led by the VHP on December 6, 1992.
(With inputs from PTI)