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Chief priest at Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple in Ayodhya Acharya Satyendra Das on Sunday took a dig at Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray over his remarks that he has not been invited for the consecration ceremony of the Ram Lala saying the invitations have been sent only to those who are “devotees of Lord Ram”.
Read here: Uddhav says he does not need an invitation to go to Ram Temple: ‘Those who pulled Babri Masjid down…’
“Invitations are only extended to those who are devotees of Lord Ram. It is totally wrong to say that the BJP is fighting in the name of Lord Ram, our PM is respected everywhere. He has done immense work under his tenure. This is not politics. This is his devotion,” Acharya Das said to news agency ANI.
Amid the political tussle over the invitation, Thackeray said he did not need an invitation and could visit the temple town anytime.
“Ram Lalla is mine too. I can go anytime I wish. I can go now, I can go tomorrow. When I became the chief minister, I went to Ayodhya. I visited Ayodhya before that also. Yes, I have not received any invitation and I don’t need one. I just have one request that this event should not be made a political one,” Thackeray had said.
Das also slammed Sena MP Sanjay Raut for allegedly insulting and dragging Lord Ram, saying he could not even realise that they were the ones who used to fight elections in the name of Lord Ram.
“Sanjay Raut has so much pain that even he can’t express that, they were the ones who used to fight elections in the name of Lord Ram. Those who believed in Lord Ram are in power; what nonsense is he talking about? He is insulting Lord Ram,” Das said.
Raut had earlier taken a jibe at the saffron party, saying that the BJP will seek votes in the name of Lord Ram ahead of the Lok Sabha elections scheduled to happen this year.
“The PMO and government should shift base to Ayodhya. They will ask for votes only in Ram’s name because they have done nothing else,” Raut said.
Invitation cards for the consecration ceremony have been sent out to over 7,000 guests, including 3,000 VVIPs including priests, donors and several politicians. Additionally, several tent cities are being developed in the temple town to accommodate thousands of devotees, who are expected to arrive for the pran pratishtha ceremony of Ram Lalla on January 22.
Read here: Uddhav camp taunts BJP over Ayodhya buzz, says may declare Lord Ram as poll candidate
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the inauguration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya on January 22. He will perform the rituals in the sanctum sanctorum of the Ram Temple at around 12.15 pm during the pran-pratishtha.
The foundation stone of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, was laid by PM Modi on August 5, 2020.
(With inputs from ANI)