Taking a swipe at Congress for what he said was the grand old party’s attempt to hinder the construction of Ram Mandir at Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday said that the Congress party should look into its past before making such comments.

He said the people of the country know that in the past the Congress party tried to create obstacles in Ram Mandir’s construction. Talking to ANI, UP CM said that the Congress did not want that the foundation stone for the Ram Mandir be laid at the spot where Lord Ram was placed. He also said that the Congress did not want the issue to reach its logical conclusion, and the grand old party has only divided people on the basis of religion, caste, and beliefs.

The Uttar Pradesh chief minister stated that during the ‘bhoomi pujan’ ceremony for Ram Mandir on August 5th, strict COVID-19 protocol will be followed. He also mentioned that only those who have been invited should come to Ayodhya.

While overseeing the preparations for the event, UP chief minister said that it was a “historic and emotional” moment that will lay the “foundation of a new India”.

Speaking to PTI, he said that the COVID-19 protocols laid by the government will be strictly followed at the August 5 event and asked only those invited to come and the rest should “remain at their respective places.”

As per the Mandir trust, about 200 people have been invited for the ceremony.

Adityanath said that arrangements for those who are keen to visit Ayodhya will happen after the Coronavirus pandemic is over.

The report stated that the chief minister was scheduled to visit Ayodhya on Sunday but his Ayodhya visit was cancelled due to the death of state minister Kamla Rani Varun, who had contracted COVID-19.

Earlier in the day, senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh had taken to Twitter to urge Prime Minister Narendra Modi to defer the August 5 ceremony, saying the occasion was ‘inauspicious’.