A day after the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Trust invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to install the idol of Lord Ram into the sanctum sanctorum of Ram Temple in Ayodhya, the Opposition parties have alleged that the January 22 consecration ceremony next year is being made into a political event of one party.
“Is the invitation going to just one party? I cannot comment on who would reach and who would not. But is God now limited to one party? The invitation should be for everyone… It is being made into a program of just one party. Is this a party program or related to only one person?” Congress leader Salman Khurshid asked.
Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath also echoed his Congress colleague and asked if the Ram Temple belongs to the BJP.
“Does the Ram Mandir belong to the BJP? It belongs to everyone in our country. It is a very big symbol of our Sanatana Dharma. I am very happy that the Ram Mandir is finally being built,” Madhya Pradesh Congress president Kamal Nath said.
Shiv Sena (Uddhav) leader Sanjay Raut said that thousands of karsevaks, including from his party, sacrificed their lives for the temple and saw the invitation to PM Modi as preparation of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
“Ram Mandir was supposed to be built. Thousands of karsevaks have given their lives for it. All Hindutvavadi organisations and parties were involved. Shiv Sena, Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad were there… LK Advani took out a Rath Yatra. It is the result of all of this that Ram Mandir is being built… This is why PM Modi would go and perform prayers but I think that this is the preparation of the elections…” Sanjay Raut said.
On Wednesday, PM Modi was formally invited by the temple trust functionaries to attend the the consecration ceremony of the grand Ram temple in Ayodhya on January 22, next year. Calling it a day full of “emotions”, PM Modi said that he felt “very blessed” and that it is his good fortune that he will be witnessing such a historic occasion.