Special ‘Aastha’ train to Ayodhya flagged off from Gujarat’s Mehsana
Mehsana: Gujarat’s first special “Aastha” train to Ayodhya was flagged off by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLAs and local leaders from Mehsana railway station, officials said on Tuesday.
Several senior BJP leaders, including Gujarat Minister of State for Forest and Environment Mukesh Patel, flagged off the train, which departed from Mehsana railway station at 11.50 pm on Monday.
This was the first special train from Gujarat to leave for Ayodhya, and more such trains are scheduled from different parts of the state to Ayodhya, they said.
Minister Mukesh Patel, MLAs K K Patel, Sukhaji Thakor, and several local BJP leaders were at Mehsana railway station when the train was flagged off last night.
Talking to reporters, the minister said at least 1,344 devotees from seven assembly constituencies under the Mehsana Lok Sabha seat left for Ayodhya on the special train, and arrangements have been made to ensure that they visit the temple without any difficulties.
According to BJP leaders, special “Aastha” trains carrying devotees from other Lok Sabha seats in the state will also leave for Ayodhya in the coming days.
“The special train carrying Ram devotees, many of whom were kar sevaks (religious volunteers) during the Ram Janmabhoomi movement, left from Mehsana railway station. This was the first of the 26 Aastha special trains to leave from Gujarat, each covering a Lok Sabha seat in the state,” BJP leader MS Patel said.
Devotees have been visiting Ayodhya in large numbers after the consecration ceremony at Ram temple on January 22.
The Indian Railways had announced “Aastha Special” trains to bring devotees to Ayodhya from different parts of the country.
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