'Sanatan virodhi': BJP targets leaders who declined Ram Mandir invite
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), on Thursday, released a poster targeting opposition leaders who declined the invitation to the "Pran Pratishtha" ceremony at the Ram Mandir. This poster showcases images of well-known opposition figures, such as Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, and labels them as "anti-Sanatan." As people across India gear up for the Ram Temple's inauguration, the Congress has argued that religion is a personal matter.
Why does this story matter?
Ayodhya temple is all set to witness the grand Pran Pratishtha (consecration) ceremony on January 22. The event will mark the presence of over 8,000 guests including dignitaries like Prime Minister Narendra Modi, superstar Amitabh Bachchan and cricketer Sachin Tendulkar amongst others. Through this poster, the BJP aims to highlight the opposition leaders' refusal to attend this crucial event, which could potentially influence public opinion ahead of the Lok Sabha elections later this year.
BJP's poster also features Akhilesh Yadav, Mamata Banerjee
Besides Congress leaders, the poster also features Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav, Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Sitaram Yechury, and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. The poster states, "Here are the faces of the Sanatan opponents who rejected the invitation for the Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha ceremony." Notably, Banerjee has blatantly said that January 22 was nothing more than the BJP's pre-poll gimmick. Meanwhile, CPI-M leader Brinda Karat slammed the event as "politicization of a religious program."
BJP dubs opposition leaders as 'Sanatan Virodhi'
Congress calls it pre-poll gimmick
Declining the invite, the Congress said, "The inauguration of the incomplete temple by the leaders of the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) and the RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) has been obviously brought forward for electoral gain." The party asserted that it respects the 2019 Supreme Court judgment and the sentiments of Lord Ram's devotees; however, its leaders would not attend the consecration event. Other opposition leaders on the guest list include Bihar CM Nitish Kumar, Lalu Prasad Yadav, and Sitaram Yechury.
PM Modi to take center stage at consecration ceremony
PM Modi will take center stage at the unveiling of the Ram Mandir on January 22. The temple complex will be opened to the public at a later date. The event will be hosted by the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust. Per the latest update, safety and hospitality plans have been made for the event. To bolster emergency response capabilities, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams have also been deployed.
