Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday announced that the first train to Ayodhya as part of the Delhi government’s free pilgrimage scheme for senior citizens will leave on December 3. In a first, the chief minister also announced a free pilgrimage tour to the Velankanni church in Tamil Nadu for the Christian residents of Delhi.
“Last month I visited the Ram temple in Ayodhya and after returning, I got Ayodhya included in the Delhi government’s Mukhya Mantri Teerth Yatra Yojna. Today, I am happy to announce that the first train for Ayodhya with the city’s senior citizens will leave from Delhi on December 3. Every senior citizen can bring a young attendant to take care of them. The cost of both will be borne by the government,” Kejriwal said in a digital press briefing on Wednesday.
The AAP has decided to contest the UP assembly elections slated to be held early next year. In October, Kejriwal, who is also the national convener of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), offered prayers at the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi in Ayodhya and said that if his party forms the government in Uttar Pradesh, the residents of the state will get a free pilgrimage to Ayodhya.
The chief minister said that on the demand of the city’s Christian community, the Delhi government will also include a free pilgrimage trip to Velankanni Church soon.
Under the Mukhya Mantri Teerth Yatra Yojna, the pilgrims get to visit Vaishno Devi, Shirdi, Rameswaram, Dwarka, Puri, Haridwar, Rishikesh, Mathura, Vrindavan, among many other shrines. The scheme was launched by the Kejriwal government in 2019. People aged 60 years and above and their attendants are provided free pilgrimage every year under this. The scheme was launched with five pilgrimage sites and later seven more were added to it.
Senior citizens availing free pilgrimage are issued certificates by the MLAs of their respective areas. The ministers of the Delhi government and the chairman of the Tirth Yatra Vikas Samiti also issue certificates to the applicants. The Delhi government bears all the expenses on the pilgrimage, including for travel, food and accommodation. Facilities like paramedical staff and attendants are also provided during the journey.