The temple trust requested the two BJP stalwarts not to attend the temple's consecration event in Ayodhya on grounds of their age and health. Within a few hours, the VHP extended an invitation to both the leaders.
Team Clarion
NEW DELHI — The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and the temple trust in Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh are not on the same page in extending an invitation to BJP stalwarts, former deputy prime minister L.K. Advani and former Union minister, Murli Manohar Joshi, for the consecration of the Ram Temple next month.
The VHP on Tuesday extended an invitation to both the leaders at attend the temple’s consecration event on January 22. The VHP invitation came hours after the temple trust, Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra, requested the BJP leaders not to attend the consecration event on grounds of their age and health.
VHP president Alok Kumar quoted both BJP veterans as saying that they will try their best to attend the January 22 event.
“The pioneers of the Ram Mandir movement, Advani Ji and Murli Manohar Joshi Ji were invited to attend the consecration ceremony. Both of them said that they will try their best to come,” the VHP cited Kumar as saying on X (formerly Twitter) platform.
Advani (96) and Joshi, who will turn 90 next month, were at the forefront of the Ram Temple movement. The Supreme Court decided the decades-old title dispute case in favour of the Hindus on November 9, 2019.
The court ruled that the disputed land be given to a trust to build the Ram Janmabhoomi temple. The court also ordered that the Muslim side be compensated with five acres of land to build a mosque.
Talking about Advani and Joshi on Monday, general secretary of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Champat Rai said, “Both are elders in the (Sangh) family and considering their age, they have been requested not to come (to Ayodhya for the consecration event). Both have accepted our request.”
He said all preparations for the consecration ceremony, which is to be headlined by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, will be completed by January 15, next year.
“The puja for Pran Pratishtha will begin on January 16 and will continue till January 22, 2024,” the general secretary of the temple trust, informed.
Rai said a total of 13 Akharas, including 150 sages and saints from different traditions and Shankaracharyas from six philosophy traditions, will take part in the event.
“About four thousand saints have been invited to the programme. Apart from this, invitations have also been sent to 2,200 other guests,” he said.
He informed further that heads of major temples like Kashi Vishwanath, and Vaishnodevi, and representatives of religious and constitutional institutions have also been invited.
