On Wednesday (27th December), Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar revealed that he was not invited to the inauguration ceremony or Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. He also attacked the BJP, claiming it was unclear whether the party was using the issue for political or commercial purposes. “Don’t know if it (BJP) is using the issue for political or commercial purposes. We are happy that the temple is coming up for which many have contributed,” Pawar said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath are among the over 6,000 people envisioned to be present at the Ram Lalla idol’s ‘Pran Pratistha’, or consecration ceremony, next month. Pawar meanwhile also asserted that he wouldn’t go even if he were invited to the inauguration ceremony of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.
“I visit only two to three places of faith that I don’t speak about in public. We are all happy that the Ram Mandir is finally being built and so many people have contributed to see this day. I haven’t been invited and wouldn’t have visited even if I were invited. Faith is quite a private matter I think,” he said.
Notably, in the year 2022, the BJP alleged that Pawar was an atheist and possessed hatred for Hindu Gods and Goddesses. However, later Pawar clarified that he believed in Godly faith but never loved to exhibit it out in the open.
Earlier, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee stated that she would not attend the inauguration ceremony. “There is no question of Mamata Banerjee or any other representative of the TMC attending the Ram Mandir inauguration at Ayodhya next month. We don’t believe in mixing politics with religion,” a senior party leader was quoted as saying.
Also, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury has turned down an invitation to attend the inauguration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya. Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT) called the ceremony a private event by BJP and said that would visit the Ram Mandir after the BJP’s event is over.
“This is all politics, who wants to attend an event by the BJP? This is not a national event. This is BJP’s program, this is BJP’s rally. ‘Usme pavitrata kahan hai?’…We will visit (Ayodhya) after BJP’s program is over,” Shiv Sena (UBT)’s Sanjay Raut said.
#WATCH | On the invitation for the grand consecration ceremony of the Ram Janmabhoomi temple in Ayodhya, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut says, "…This is all politics, who wants to attend an event by BJP? This is not a national event. This is BJP's program, this is BJP's rally.… pic.twitter.com/59tFXqiiYe
— ANI (@ANI) December 28, 2023
Extensive preparations are in place in Ayodhya for the consecration ceremony which is expected to draw 8,000 people. Speakers at the event include Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat.
A significant number of people involved in the construction of the temple, including S N Subrahmanyan of the L&T Group and Natarajan Chandrasekaran of the Tata Group have also been invited by the trust. Despite the extensive preparations for the VVIP guests, Champat Rai, the general secretary of the Trust has been recommending pilgrims to pray at the closest temple rather than in Ayodhya on 22nd January in order to avoid overcrowding.
Attendees include the spiritual leaders of important temples like Kashi Vishwanath and Vaishno Devi, yoga guru Baba Ramdev, Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama, cricketers like Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli, as well as representatives of constitutional and religious organizations. Actors like Rajnikanth, Amitabh Bachchan, Madhuri Dixit, Dipika Chikhlia and Arun Govil, film directors like Madhur Bhandarkar, and businesspeople like Mukesh Ambani and Anil Ambani, along with renowned painter Vasudev Kamat and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Director Nilesh Desai are also invited.
The Vishva Hindu Parishad also reached out to veteran Bharatiya Janta Party leaders like Lal Krishna Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi for the event.
