The much-awaited consecration ceremony of Ram Temple in Ayodhya was conducted with huge fervour among Ram devotees across the nation. The Pran Pratishtha of Ram Lalla was celebrated in India as no less than a festival amid chants of "Jai Shree Ram". The Centre declared a half-day holiday for its employees and several states followed the decision to provide people with time to commemorate the grand ceremony.
The event got etched in history, with the ruling BJP calling it the beginning of 'Ram Rajya', a synonym of their "ache din" rhetoric, while key leaders of major opposition parties refrained from attending the ceremony while calling it a political event in the name of Lord Ram, organised to influence public sentiments ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha election.
Here are some of the statements made by political leaders describing the historic event in Ayodhya on January 22, 2024:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the entire nation from the Ayodhya Ram Temple soon after doing the Pran Pratishtha rituals. PM Modi said Lord Ram finally arrived after a long wait and countless sacrifices by several devotees during the Ram Janmabhoomi movement. ''This moment leaves an indelible imprint on the cycle of time. People after 1000 years will talk about this occasion,'' PM Modi said.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the rituals during the 'Pran Pratishtha' ceremony in the sanctum sanctorum of the Ram Mandir. (Image: X/@AmitShah)
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also addressed dignitaries and devotees who gathered in Ram Mandir for the consecration ceremony. CM Adityanath said the consecration of the Ram Lalla idol in Ayodhya is a proclamation of 'Ram Rajya', a harmonious society without discrimination.
"It is an emotional moment for all of us and it has come after a wait of 500 years. The whole nation has become 'Ram maye' (immersed in the devotion of Lord Ram). It seems that we have arrived in 'Treta Yug'," CM Adityanath said.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah said the wait and promise of five centuries was fulfilled after the temple inauguration in Ayodhya and it is an unforgettable day for crores of Ram devotees.
"Jai Shri Ram... The wait and promise of 5 centuries was fulfilled today. Today is an unforgettable day for crores of Ram devotees. Today, when our Ram Lalla is seated in his grand temple, like countless Ram devotees, I too am overwhelmed with emotions. It is not possible to capture this feeling in words," HM Amit Shah wrote on X.
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Meanwhile, Opposition leaders accused BJP of politicising the religious sentiments. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said, ''Today only one person can go to the temple'' after he was stopped from entering Assam's Batadrava Than, the birthplace of saint Srimanta Sankardeva. After his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra was denied permission, Rahul Gandhi sat on the ground surrounded by supporters, who sang 'Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram' in unison.
Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah said Congress worships Mahatma Gandhi’s Ram and not the one which the saffron party worships. "We worship Gandhi's Ram and not BJP's Ram," CM Siddaramaiah said.
Karnataka CM also accused the BJP of separating Lord Ram from Seeta and Lakshman. "Without Lakshman and Sita, there is no Rama. Rama is omnipresent, not confined only to Ayodhya. His presence extends to the Sri Rama temple in his village, which was constructed by him," CM Siddaramaiah said.
Karnataka Minister Ramalinga Reddy accused the BJP of communal politics. "Hindus in the country have been worshipping Lord Ram for many years. There are lakhs of Ram temples in India... Some parties are mixing religion with politics but we do not do that," the Congress leader said.