Ramayan actor Sunil Lahri calls Ayodhya citizens 'selfish' for not voting for BJP despite Ram Mandir inauguration

Sunil Lahri's comments have sparked a heated debate on social media, with many people criticizing him for his harsh words.

Sunil Lahri, known for playing the role of Laxman in Ramanand Sagar’s Ramayan, has lashed out at the people of Ayodhya for not voting for the Bharatiya Janata Party. It was under the party’s leadership that the Ram Mandir was inaugurated in Ayodhya in January this year. However, when the Lok Sabha election results were announced on Tuesday (June 4), BJP’s Lallu Singh lost the Faizabad constituency, where the temple is situated, to Samajwadi Party candidate Awadhesh Prasad.

On Wednesday, Sunil Lahri took to his Instagram stories and expressed disappointment with the Ayodhya election results. He accused the people of the holy city of "betraying their king" and called them "selfish". Sunil shared a note in Hindi which translates to, “We are forgetting that these are the same Ayodhya citizens who doubted Goddess Sita after she returned from exile. What do you call the person who even denies God? Selfish. History stands proof that the citizens of Ayodhya always betrayed their king. Shame on them."

Another post that Sunil Lahri shared on his Instagram stories read, “We salute your greatness dear citizens of Ayodhya, you are the ones who didn’t spare even Goddess Sita. We are not shocked that you betrayed the man who made sure that Lord Ram came out of that small tent and was installed in a beautiful temple. The entire nation will never see you with respect again."

Meanwhile, Sunil Lahri’s Ramayana co-star Arun Govil, who played the role of Ram in the popular television series also contested the Lok Sabha elections from Meerut in Uttar Pradesh. He won the constituency against Samajwadi Party candidate Sunita Verma by a margin of 10,585 votes.

In another video that Lahri shared, he congratulated Govil and said, “I am happy that two people, I really like, have won the elections. First, Kangana Ranaut. She is the epitome of women empowerment and has won from Mandi (Himachal Pradesh). Second, my elder brother, Arun Govil, who won it from Meerut. Congratulations and best wishes to both of them."

Sunil Lahri's comments have sparked a heated debate on social media, with many people criticizing him for his harsh words. Others, however, have supported his stance, arguing that Ayodhya residents should have shown more loyalty to the BJP given their efforts in the Ram Mandir construction.

The controversy highlights the deep emotions and political divisions surrounding the Ayodhya issue. For many, the Ram Mandir is more than just a temple; it is a symbol of religious and cultural identity. The BJP's loss in Ayodhya, therefore, is seen as a significant blow not just politically, but also symbolically.

As the debate continues, it remains to be seen how this will affect the BJP's future strategies and the political landscape in Ayodhya and beyond. For now, Sunil Lahri's remarks have ensured that the Ayodhya election results remain a hot topic of discussion.