The Uttar Pradesh CM claimed that if temples were destroyed by invaders in the past then people should run a campaign to restore the destroyed temples.

“Sanatan Dharma is India’s ‘Rashtriya Dharma’. When we rise above selfishness, we connect to ‘Rashtriya Dharma’.Our country is secure when we connect to the national religion,” the chief minister said.

CM Yogi made the remarks while addressing a function over the restoration of the idol programme at Neelkanth Mahadev Temple in Rajasthan’s Bhinmal.

“If our religious places have been desecrated during any period, then a campaign for their restoration must be launched on the lines of Ayodhya where the construction of a grand temple of Lord Rama is going on after 500 years with the efforts of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. All of you devotees contributed to the construction of this grand national temple of Lord Rama, representing national sentiment,” said the UP CM.

Congress slammed the UP CM over his remarks with Chairman of Unorganized Workers and Employees Congress (KKC) Udit Raj tweeting, “CM Yogi said Sanatan Dharma is the national religion of India. This means other religions such as Sikhism, Jainism, Buddhism, Christianity and Islam are finished.”