Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and Samajwadi Party (SP) boss Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday wrote to Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teertha Kshetra general secretary Champat Rai, informing him of his decision to visit the Ram Temple in Ayodhya after the January 22 consecration ceremony.
In the letter posted on his ‘X’ handle, Yadav thanked Rai for the invitation to the consecration ceremony and said that he will visit the temple along with his family after the “Pran Pratishtha” event.
“Thank you for the invitation to the consecration ceremony of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple in Ayodhya and best wishes for the successful completion of the ceremony. We shall definitely visit temple after the completion of the consecration ceremony,” he wrote.
— Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) January 13, 2024
The Samajwadi Party leader didn’t mention the reason behind his decision of not attending the consecration ceremony.
He, however, carefully chose not to decline the invitation like his other INDIA alliance leaders.
His response came amid BJP’s criticism of Opposition leaders for declining the invitation to the mega Ram temple inauguration event.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, senior party leader Sonia Gandhi and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury had refused to attend the consecration ceremony, terming it a BJP event for political gains.
Besides Congress, other INDIA alliance partners, including CPM and Mamata Banerjee’s TMC, have also declined the invitation to attend the ceremony.
They had also cited the similar reason behind their decision and accused the BJP of using the religious event for electoral gains.