Jhansi, June 21 -- Amid the Ram temple donation controversy, chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday hailed the Ram temple in Ayodhya as the "national temple" of a new India.

Describing the Ram temple as a landmark in India's resurgence, he said it symbolised the country's growing self-confidence and cultural renaissance.

He was addressing the 'Viksit Bharat Sankalp Conference' at the Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Auditorium in Jhansi.

His remarks came a day after he spoke for the first time on the issue on Friday and indicated the Special Investigation Team (SIT) has a free hand to conduct the ongoing probe.

On Saturday, he said the collective efforts of 140 crore Indians under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership enabled the cou...