Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut has joined the rank of leaders mocking and politicising the Pran Pratishtha event scheduled to take place on 22nd January 2024 in Ayodhya. On Saturday (30th December), Raut parroted the statements of his allies in the INDI Alliance calling the Ram Mandir inauguration a political event. The Rajya Sabha MP said that the only thing left for the BJP is to announce Lord Ram as their election candidate.
Raut said, “Now, the only thing left is that the BJP will announce that Lord Ram will be their candidate for the elections. So much politics is being done in the name of Lord Ram.”
#WATCH | On the invitation for the consecration ceremony of Ram Janmabhoomi temple in Ayodhya, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut says, "Now, the only thing left is that the BJP will announce that Lord Ram will be their candidate for the elections. So much politics is being done in… pic.twitter.com/NNTdmmHz1d
— ANI (@ANI) December 30, 2023
Meanwhile, the Shiv Sena (UBT) Chief himself has said that he has not received any invite for the Pran Pratishtha event and that he does not need one either.
“First, I have not received any invitation. Second, I dont need an invitation to go there. Ram Lalla is not a party’s property, he belongs to everyone. I just want that this event not to be politicised…This decision was given by the Supreme Court, not the government,” Uddhav Thackeray said.
#WATCH | On the invitation for the consecration ceremony of Ram Janmabhoomi temple in Ayodhya, Shiv Sena (UBT) President Uddhav Thackeray says, "First, I have not received any invitation. Second, I dont need an invitation to go there. Ram Lalla is not a party's property, he… pic.twitter.com/f1SoogWLXV
— ANI (@ANI) December 30, 2023
This comes two days after Sanjay Raut said that Shiv Sena (UBT) Chief Uddhav Thackeray will not attend the Pran Praitshta ceremony on 22nd January. He had called it as a “BJP event”. He even went on to allege that the BJP had kidnapped Lord Ram.
Raut had said, “He will definitely go but only after the BJP’s event gets over. Why should one go to a BJP event? It is not a national event. The BJP is holding rallies and campaigning a lot for this function but where is the purity in it.”
Alleging that the grand Pran Pratishta ceremony is a diversionary tactic, Raut had said, “The BJP wants the country to forget about unemployment, inflation, and issues concerning Manipur.”
While Raut is mocking the holy event, on Wednesday (27th December), Raut gave a contradictory statement claiming credit for the Babri Masjid demolition. On one hand Raut launched a credit war for Babri Masjid demolition while alleging that the BJP and RSS had no involvement in crucial historical events in the movement, on the other hand he is taking a jibe at Lord Ram.
Raut added that the Kothari brothers were Shiv Sainik. Ram and Sharad Kothari were among the many Kar Sevaks who were shot dead by the police on the orders of the then Mulayam Singh-led SP government in Uttar Pradesh.
Back to back political reactions are pouring in as the much-awaited Pran Pratishtha event approaches. On Saturday (30th December), Prime Minister Modi inaugurated a slew of projects worth Rs 15,000 crore in Ayodhya, ahead of the consecration ceremony.
These development projects give Ayodhyadham a facelift including a new airport and a revamped railway station. The airport, designed to mirror the temple architecture, anticipates a surge in tourism to Ayodhya.
