- Rajnath Singh visited Ramlala as Chief Minister in 2002 and Yogi Adityanath after becoming Chief Minister in May 2017.
- Modi reached Ayodhya during Lok Sabha elections in 2009, 2014 and 2019 but did not visit Ramlala
- Akhilesh was the Chief Minister from 2012 to 2017 but he did not visit to Ramlala.
Ever since the disputed structure was demolished in 1992 in Ayodhya, big leaders have kept distance from the sight of Ramlala Virajman. In the last 27 years, Narendra Modi, Mulayam Singh Yadav, Mayawati, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav have also not visited Ramlala. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has visited Ayodhya 18 times in two and a half years. With this, Yogi is the second Chief Minister of BJP in 27 years who has visited Ramlala Virajman.
Yogi Adityanath
Yogi Adityanath visited Ayodhya after becoming Chief Minister in May 2017. Here he worshiped on the Saryu coast. Spent 30 minutes at Hanuman Garhi, then saw Ramlala set up on the disputed land. He is the second Chief Minister after 1992 to visit Ramlala. Prior to that, Rajnath Singh had visited Ramlala as Chief Minister on his visit to Ayodhya in 2002. Yogi have visited Ayodhya 18 times so far. The last time he visited Ayodhya in Diwali this year to celebrate Deepotsav.
Narendra Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi last visited Ayodhya to rally during the Lok Sabha elections in May 2019. He reached Ayodhya for the first time as Prime Minister, but after the rally he left Ayodhya. It was assumed that he would go to see Ramlala. However, earlier during the campaigning for the 2009 and 2014 Lok Sabha elections, Modi reached Ayodhya. When he was the PM candidate in the 2014 election, his rally in Ayodhya showed a grand temple in the banner on the stage.
Akhilesh Yadav
Akhilesh Yadav, who was the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh between 2012 and 2017, also reached Ayodhya only for the election campaign. Akhilesh last arrived in Ayodhya in May 2019 to address a coalition rally. However, before that he kept distance from Ayodhya for the entire five years. He also laid the foundation stone of some schemes related to Ayodhya from the Chief Minister’s residence.
Rahul Gandhi
Rahul Gandhi was on a Kisan yatra during the 2017 Uttar Pradesh assembly elections. Meanwhile, he reached Ayodhya in September 2019. He was the first member of the Gandhi family to reach Ayodhya after 1992. He took the blessings of God at Hanuman Garhi, but kept distance from Ramlala situated on the disputed land.
Mayawati
Mayawati, who was the 4-time Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, also kept a distance from Ayodhya. During this time, she did not visit Hanuman Garhi, nor did she visit Ramlala. She had a tour in Ayodhya for the election campaign. In May this year, she reached Ayodhya to address a coalition rally.
Priyanka Gandhi
During the Lok Sabha elections this year, Priyanka Gandhi reached Ayodhya on March 29 for attending a roadshow. Priyanka was the second member of the Gandhi family to reach Ayodhya after the Babri demolition in 1992. However, during this time she also kept distance from Ramlala located on the disputed land.
Uddhav Thackeray
Uddhav Thackeray reached UP, Ayodhya for the first time in November 2018. Here he rallied and also saw Ramlala. After this, he returned to Ayodhya again in June 2019. He also visited Ramlala again.
Mahant of Yogi Math, also reached Ramlala
Political analysts Sanjay Bhatnagar and Sameeratmaj Mishra say that many big leaders reached Ayodhya in 1992, but did not visit Ramlala. The yogi himself is a monach of a monastery, so he is not to be affected by the philosophy of Ramlala. Whatever big leaders are reluctant to go there, they still believe that it is a communal matter. This is the reason leaders keep distance.
Modi, Rahul, Priyanka’s reason for not seeing Ramlala
Senior Journalist of Ayodhya Vishnu Niwas Das says that Narendra Modi did not visit Ramlala even after coming to Ayodhya, the reason behind this is that he wants to show that they work for all classes. While Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi had clearly said that Ram Lalla’s case is still in court and we will not go there till the decision is reached. The SP-BSP leaders do not visit Ramlala as part of their electoral agenda, as the matter is related to the politics of Hindu-Muslim votes.