- By Vivek Raj
- Wed, 17 Jan 2024 04:27 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Ayodhya is gearing up for the grand Pran Pratistha or consecration ceremony of the Ram Temple on January 22 and anticipation and excitement are sweeping across the nation. PM Modi is gonna once again make the headlines by leading the ceremony when the Lok Sabha elections are just around the corner. Beginning from the demolition of Babri Masjid, the BJP, and the right-wing activist groups dreamt of the Ram temple in the country and with the go-ahead of the Supreme Court now BJP hails it as the "fulfillment of a divine dream". The invite list of over 10,000 includes senior opposition figures, with most declining, citing concerns about the politicisation of the religious event.
All BJP chief ministers, except Yogi Adityanath, are excluded from the exclusive guest list. Opposition leaders such as Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, and Mamata Banerjee, though invited, will not attend, criticising the BJP's rush to consecrate an under-construction temple and accusing it of playing to its vote bank.
Opposition leaders, including Mamata Banerjee, Rahul Gandhi, Sharad Pawar, and Uddhav Thackeray, plan alternative events on January 22 to counterbalance the BJP's ceremony. Banerjee intends to visit the Kalighat temple near Kolkata and hold a "communal harmony rally".
Rahul Gandhi intends to visit a temple during his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Assam, and Uddhav Thackeray and Shiv Sena leaders plan a visit to the Kalaram Temple in Nashik for a "maha aarti."
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AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal, though not invited, announces the 'Sundar Kand' and 'Hanuman Chalisa' programs in Delhi.
The opposition's response to the ceremony has drawn attention, with critics accusing the BJP of politicising a religious event. The Congress declined the invitation, stating that "religion is a personal matter," and Rahul Gandhi referred to it as a "Narendra Modi function."
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik's government plans to unveil the Jagannath Heritage Corridor, investing over Rs 4,000 crore to boost religious sentiments and counter BJP influence in the state.
Key opposition figures like Sharad Pawar, Lalu Prasad Yadav, and DMK have snubbed the invites, expressing concerns over the BJP's alleged attempts to capitalise on the temple construction for electoral gains. The Left, represented by CPI(M), had previously announced its decision to skip the event, citing the BJP's intertwining of religious programs with politics.
As the Ram Temple construction continues, estimated at nearly Rs 2,000 crore, it is anticipated to be a centerpiece in the BJP's campaign for the upcoming general elections in April/May, with Prime Minister Modi seeking an unprecedented third consecutive term.
