Lalu Yadav, Sharad Pawar decline Ram Mandir consecration ceremony invite
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Lalu Yadav, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief and former Chief Minister of Bihar, declined an invitation to attend the consecration ceremony of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya on January 22, joining the list of the opposition leaders to turn down the invitation.
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Chief Sharad Pawar had also said that he would not attend the ceremony and that he would visit the temple at a later date.
"After the Pran Pratistha ceremony is completed on January 22, I will freely take out time and come for darshan and by then the construction work of Ram temple will also be completed, " he said in a letter to General Secretary Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Champat Rai.
The NCP chief had earlier taken a swipe at the BJP for not getting the invitation for the ceremony, saying that it was difficult to understand whether the party was using the issue for religious or political purposes.
Pawar on Tuesday said that the 'shilanyas' (foundation stone) of the temple was initially conducted by former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and accused the BJP and the RSS of engaging in politics in its name.
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Samajwadi Party (SP) Chief Akhilesh also stated earlier that he would visit the temple, along with his family, after the inauguration event. West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Mamata Banerjee said she will hold a 'Sarba Dharma' (interfaith) rally on January 22.
Congress had declined the invite, alleging that it has been turned into a political program by the BJP and RSS, rather than a religious one. The BJP has been targeting the opposition leaders for turning down the invitation, calling them "anti-Ram" organisations.
Meanwhile, preparations for the consecration ceremony have been in full swing in Ayodhya, with more than 7,000 people, including politicians, industrialists, saints, and celebrities from across the country, expected to attend the grand opening.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be the Chief Guest. Additionally, nearly 100 representatives from different countries will attend the consecration ceremony.
The seven-day rituals ahead of the ceremony will commence in Ayodhya from Tuesday. Ram Lalla, sculpted by a Mysuru-based artist, Arun Yogiraj, has been selected for installation.
