Temple, holiday in Samajwadi Party’s outreach to Vishwakarmas in UP

LUCKNOW: Claiming that by pruning Vishwakarma Puja off the list of state holidays, the state government had insulted the eponymous community, Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday said he would build a grand temple to honour the deity on the bank of river Gomti. 

The Vishwakarma community outreach is seen as part of the SP’s overdrive to cobble together an Opposition of small regional and community-based outfits to take on the BJP’s electoral machine in the 2022 Assembly polls.

Akhilesh slammed the ruling BJP for insulting the Vishwakarma community by dropping Vishwakarma Jayanti holiday and said he would restore it if his party came to power. He was addressing a gathering during a Vishwakarma Jayanti programme organised by the All India Vishwakarma Mahasabha at the SP office in Lucknow.

After assuming charge, CM Yogi Adityanath had shortened the list of state holidays. Among the holidays dropped was the Vishwakarma Jayanti. Adityanath had said schools and offices should be opened on those days and programmes should be organised to make people aware of the contributions made by those personalities.

“There is also a training institute for the BJP and it teaches them to spread lies. By dropping Vishwakarma Jayanti holiday, the CM has insulted the Vishwakarma community. It was our SP government that had announced a holiday on Vishwakarma Puja. Hanuman’s mace and Krishna’s wheel were made by Vishwakarma community…,” said Akhilesh.

Later, the SP chief attacked the government for failing to mitigate the rain situation. “There was heavy damage to property and loss of life. The government has not made any arrangements. This government is about to leave, it will be wiped out. Every section of the society has been humiliated by this government. It has made a record of lies,” Akhilesh said.