Ayodhya Ram Mandir Opening Ceremony: Who's Invited, Who's Left Out, Who Is Planning To Give It A Miss? Read Here

(MENAFN- Live Mint) "Ayodhya RAM Temple Inauguration: A row has gained ground over who has been invited and who has nodded to attend Pran Pratishtha (consecration) of the Ram temple in Ayodhya in 2024. It has become a Political issue ahead of the Lok Sabha elections due next year.
Invitations have been sent to religious leaders, actors, and politicians for the January 22 event in Ayodhya. However, it's not yet clear who will attend from the opposition parties.
Nationalist congress Party (NCP) Chief Sharad Pawar expressed his disappointment after not being invited to the Ram Mandir inauguration ceremony that will be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, UP CM Yogi Adityanath, other ministers and dignitaries.“I have not been invited to the inauguration of Ram Mandir, I have some places of faith, I go there. The question of going to a religious place is personal. I am not saying that openly. BJP is doing politics or business in the name of Ram temple, I don't know,” he said.
Similarly, Congress MP from Thiruvananthapuram, Shashi Tharoor also stated that he has not been invited to the Ayodhya Ram temple inauguration event on January 22. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Tharoor said,“Was interrogated by the waiting press, wanting to know if I would be going to Ayodhya. I told them I hadn't been invited but I saw religion as a personal attribute and not one for political (mis)use.”“Temples are not the government's business; unemployment, inflation, public welfare, and national security are. But the media allows the temple to turn the focus away from those issues!” the Congress MP added.
CPI (M) leader Brinda Karat also underlined her part's decision to skip the January 22 event, calling it the“politicization of a religious program”. \"No, we will not go. We respect the religious beliefs... but they are connecting a religious program with politics. Using religion as a political weapon or to advance a political agenda is not right,\" Karat told ANI.
Additionally, veteran leader Kapil Sibal also said he didn't feel the need to attend the ceremony because he had“Lord Ram in my heart”.“What I say to you is from my heart... because I do not care about these things. If Ram is in my heart, and Ram has guided me on my journey, it means I have done something right,” Sibal told ANI.
Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has sent invitations to Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury for the Ram Temple consecration ceremony in Ayodhya, said sources. However, they added that senior Congress leaders are unlikely to attend the ceremony from them, Former prime ministers Manmohan Singh and H D Deve Gowda have also received the invitation. The invitations, as per the sources, were delivered by a delegation of those associated with the Trust.
More invitations are likely to be sent to other opposition leaders in the coming days. BJP veterans LK Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi are unlikely to attend next month's consecration ceremonyThe Trust has said that invitations have been extended to revered saints from different traditions, along with all prominent individuals contributing to the honour of the country in every domain from politicians, the ceremony will see Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli as guests. Amitabh Bachchan, Mukesh Ambani and Gautam Adani are also among the invitees. The list also includes actors Arun Govil and Dipika Chikhlia. They are famed for their portrayal of Ram and Sita in the legendary TV series Ramayan. The trust has extended its reach with 3,000 VVIPs, including RSS Head Mohan Bhagwat, Baba Ramdev and Ratan Tata guests will include judges, scientists, writers, poets, saints, priests, Shankaracharyas, religious leaders, former civil servants, retired Army officers, lawyers, musicians and recipients of Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan awards. About 4,000 saints from different sects have been invited to participate in the ceremony Ram Temple in Ayodhya is coming after a long legal battle after which the Supreme Court paved the way for the construction of the temple in 2019. The temple was one of the main poll promises of the Narendra Modi-led Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP).
After the verdict of the apex court, the government formed a Shri Ram Janma Bhoomi Tirtha Kshetra' Trust which was tasked to take all decisions regarding the construction of the temple.
(With inputs from agencies)

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