Ram Mandir 'Pran Pratishtha': Former Bihar Chief Minister and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav on Wednesday said that he will not attend the 'Pran Pratishtha' (consecration) ceremony of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya on January 22.
"I will not go to Ayodhya to attend the 'pran pratishtha' ceremony of the Ram Temple," Yadav said. However, he has not cited any specific reason for attending the event.
The 75-year-old leader has become the latest opposition leader to decline the invitation to attend the 'Pran Pratistha' ceremony of the Ram Temple in Uttar Pradesh's Ayodhya.
Sharad Pawar declines January 22 invite
Earlier today, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar declined the invitation for the 'Pran Pratishtha' ceremony of Ram Lalla in Ayodhya on January 22, stating that he plans to visit for darshan after the event and once the construction is complete.
In a letter written to the General Secretary Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Champat Rai, Pawar conveyed his appreciation for the invite. "I'm very happy to receive the invitation for the Pran Pratishtha ceremony to be held in Ayodhya on January 22, 2024," Pawar stated in his letter.
"The darshan of Shri Ram Lalla can be done peacefully and with devotion after the ceremonies are over on January 22. I have a scheduled visit to Ayodhya, and at that time I will have the darshan of Shri Ram Lalla, by then the construction of the temple will also be completed," Pawar said.
"I once again express my gratitude for the invitation and convey my best wishes for the success of the ceremony," he added.
Several opposition leaders declined Ram Mandir's invitation
Earlier this month, Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav turned down the invitation to the Pran Pratishtha ceremony at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. Akhilesh did say that he would visit the temple with his family at a later date.
CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury and a host of Congress bigwigs including national president Mallikarjun Kharge, former president Sonia Gandhi and the party's Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury--have already turned down the invitation to the 'Pran Pratishtha' ceremony.
Notably, Congress, NCP (Sharad Pawar faction), RJD and, SP are partners in the I.N.D.I.A. bloc, formed to take on the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, where the BJP aims to project the Ram Mandir as a key election issue.
'Pran Pratishtha' of Ram Lalla
The 'Pran Pratishtha' of Shri Ram Lalla at Ayodhya's historic Ram Temple will be held on January 22. Vedic rituals for the Pran-Pratishtha ceremony of Ram Lalla in Ayodhya began on Tuesday, a week before the main ceremony.
Preparations are underway in full swing for the event, which is expected to be attended by thousands of dignitaries and people from all sections of society. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to attend the Pran Pratishtha ceremony of the Ram Temple on January 22.
Prime Minister Modi has started an 11-day special ritual in the run-up to the Pran Pratishtha of Shri Ramlala at the temple at Ayodhya.
The auspicious Praan-Pratistha of the Ram Lalla will be held on the upcoming Paush Shukla Kurmadwadashi, Vikram Samvat 2080, falling on January 22 in the Vikram Samvat 2080 calendar. Following all the Shaastriya (scriptural) protocols, the programme of Praan-Pratistha will be held in the 'Abhijeet Muhurta' in the afternoon.
Ayodhya, the birthplace of Lord Ram, holds great spiritual, historical and cultural significance for the people of India.
