Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday visited the Hanuman Setu temple at Lucknow to offer prayers after he was barred from campaigning for 72 hours by the Election Commission on Monday for allegedly making objectionable statements in his speeches.
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According to the reports, the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister reached the temple of Bajrang Bali at Hanuman Setu in the middle of the city at around 9.30 on Tuesday morning and worshipped the Lord Hanuman by reading Hanuman Chalisa.
Yogi Adityanath was present at the temple for about 20 minutes. However, during his visit to the temple, he did not speak to the media present there.
Home Minister Rajnath Singh also visited the temple before filing his nomination to contest as a BJP candidate in Lucknow, but after Yogi Adityanath left. Reportedly, the Chief Minister was supposed to accompany him for the nomination but decided to drop the plans after the Election Commission banned him from campaigning for 72 hours. His ban came into effect on Tuesday morning.
On Monday, the Election Commission had banned UP CM Yogi Adityanath for 72 hours and BSP chief Mayawati for 48 hours starting from 6 am tomorrow, for violating Model Code of Conduct by making objectionable statements in their speeches.
The Election Commission had barred Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for his “Ali and Bajrang Bali” response to BSP supremo Mayawati’s appeal asking Muslims to vote for the opposition alliance in the state. At a public rally at Deoband on April 7, Mayawati was openly polarising votes by asking Muslims not to split their vote between Congress and SP-BSP alliance and rather consolidate their vote in favour of the alliance candidate.