Himachal Pradesh Transport Corporation will start bus service to Ayodhya Ram temple: Deputy CM Mukesh Agnihotri

Shimla: The Himachal Pradesh Road and Transport Corporation (HRTC) will start a bus service to Ayodhya Ram Temple soon. The deputy chief minister of Himachal Pradesh, Mukesh Agnihotri, who also holds the portfolio of the transport minister of the state, said that the department is in the process of getting a permit and is in contact with the officials of the Uttar Pradesh government.
Speaking to ANI, Mukesh Agnihotri said that they are firm about starting a bus service to Ayodhya from Baddi under the Darshan Seva of the state government for the religious tourism circuit. He said that the importance of Ayodhya in the religious circuit is very high and this bus service will be a success.
"We had earlier decided that we would start buses to religious places under the HRTC Religious Tourist Circuit Policy. We have announced to start the buses to 100 religious places, including temples and Buddhist circuits in Himachal Pradesh. We are running the Darshan Seva bus to Khatushyam. We have spoken with the Chief Minister of Punjab. We want to start the bus to Golden Temple, Jallianwala Bagh, and Wagah Border," Mukesh Agnihotri said.
He expressed his hope that the bus service to Ayodhya will be a success and may start more such buses after one becomes successful.
"Moving ahead in this stage, we are starting the bus to Ayodhya. We are in the process of completing the formalities between the two states. We shall start a bus from Baddi to Ayodhya. We are in the process of getting permits for religious places, including Ayodhya. We are in discussion with the officials in UP; we are applying to different religious places to get permits. We are making agreements with states like Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Uttarakhand and UP," the Deputy CM said.
Mukesh Agnihotri further said that, if required, the issue would be taken up at the political level.
"If needed, to take it up at the political level, we shall take it up. Ayodhya has been an important place of faith and it has importance. We are in the process of getting buses, and right now we are trying to get permits to start one bus to Ayodhya. I am sure it will be a success. Right now, I can't say it will start before the 22nd but I am sure we will start a bus there," Agnihotri added further.