BJP ally again attacks Yogi, supports Akhilesh Yadav's call to bring army into Ayodhya

A day after former Uttar Pradesh chief minister urged the Supreme Court to take note of the growing developments in Ayodhya and call in the Army to keep the situation under control, OP Rajbhar of the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP), which an ally of the NDA in the state, on Saturday described the mass gathering of right-wing organisations in the area as a "failure of the government".

"The chief minister is interested in election campaigning at a time when Section 144 has been imposed in Faizabad (Ayodhya). This means that the administration has failed, and the Army should be brought in," Rajbhar, who has often been critical of the BJP government in the state, said. 

Security has been tightened at the disputed site with thousands of police and paramilitary personnel keeping a watch over the sensitive place. On the security arrangements in Ayodhya, Additional Director General law and order, Anand Kumar said the Supreme Court guidelines will be maintained in and around the disputed site.

"The BJP does not believe in either the Supreme Court or the Constitution. The BJP can go to any extent. The kind of environment there is in UP, especially in Ayodhya, the SC should take notice of it and bring in the Army, if necessary," said Akhilesh Yadav.

On Saturday, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray arrived in Ayodhya along with his family for his two-day visit at the temple town. The Sena chief, who arrived with his wife Rashmi and son Aditya amidst slogans of "Jai Shri Ram", offered prayers on the banks of the Saryu river in the evening.

Recently, Rajbhar, a minister in the Uttar Pradesh government, mocked the BJP over its renaming spree and suggested it to change the names of its three prominent Muslim leaders.

"The BJP says that the cities were named after Mughals. In the BJP, there is Shahnawaz Hussain, who is the national spokesperson; Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, who is a Union Cabinet minister; and, in UP, there is Mohsin Raza, who is minister of state in the Yogi Adityanath government. First, the names of these three persons should be changed," Rajbhar purportedly said in a video, which had gone viral on social media.

Hitting him back, Uttar Pradesh BJP president Mahendra Nath Pandey said Rajbhar was a "necessary evil" and comments made by him "should not be taken seriously".

"The region where Om Prakash Rajbhar's party is having presence, we are having good relationship with its supporters, workers and office-bearers. But, 'bolchaal' (attitude) of Rajbhar is not appropriate," Pandey.

(With PTI inputs)