UP legislators leave for Ayodhya visit from Lucknow

Lucknow: Several members of both the Houses of Uttar Pradesh Legislature on Sunday left for Ayodhya from the state capital to visit the newly-built Ram temple, Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya said.

With the exception of Samajwadi Party (SP) leaders, most legislators had given their consent to visit Ayodhya.

"Members of both the Houses of UP Legislature have left for Ayodhya. If anybody is not going, it is the 'samaaptwaadi party'," Keshav Prasad Maurya told PTI, apparently referring to the Samajwadi Party.

The members of both Houses were invited by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and the Speaker of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly Satish Mahana to Ayodhya to offer prayers to Ram Lalla in the newly-constructed temple.

SP chief Akhilesh Yadav had declined the invitation.

Meanwhile, the government in a statement said Adityanath will reach Ayodhya airport directly after which he would would visit the temple with his cabinet ministers for darshan of Ram Lalla.

Ten luxury buses carrying cabinet ministers and members of the legislature left for Ayodhya around 9 am, Maurya said.

Arrangements have been made for the visit by the Minister of State for Transport (Independent Charge) Dayashankar Singh, the statement said.