A number of opposition figures turned down the invitation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s January 22 consecration ceremony on Tuesday.
Leader of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), Brinda Karat, confirmed her party’s absence by criticising the occasion as the “politicisation of a religious programme.”
A number of celebrities, politicians, and religious figures received invitations.
Why is this story important?
On January 22, Ram Mandir will be inaugurated in Ayodhya, and then the public will be able to enter the much-heralded temple complex.
Approximately 8,000 people are expected, including well-known figures like Gautam Adani, Virat Kohli, Amitabh Bachchan, Mukesh Ambani, and Sachin Tendulkar.
The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust will serve as the event’s host.
Kapil Sibal labels it a “show off” and declines the offer.
Refusing the invitation, too, was former Congress leader Kapil Sibal, who said he didn’t need to go to the ceremony because he had Lord Ram in his heart.
In addition, he denounced the BJP as a “show-off” party and stressed the significance of carrying “Ram’s principles in your heart.”
“They talk about Lord Ram, but their character is nothing like that,” he remarked. Ram’s qualities include sacrifice, kindness, forgiveness, and truthfulness, however they have the exact opposite effect.”
Congressmen are unsure if they will attend.
The Congress has responded to the offer carefully, unsure of whether to accept and disappoint minority groups by attending the ceremony or decline it.
In response to an invitation, Party General Secretary KC Venugopal said, “You will know (about the party’s stand) on January 22.”
Digvijaya Singh, a senior Congress leader, made a suggestion that Sonia Gandhi will be present or that a delegation would be sent. It’s unclear if an invitation has been sent to Rahul Gandhi.
There will be about 8,000 attendees during the Ram Mandir opening.
The event is anticipated to draw 8,000 attendees, but there will also be a live broadcast of the consecration, or pran pratishtha ritual, on Doordarshan.
The families of the fifty kar sevaks who lost their life in the Ram Temple movement have also been invited.
According to Reuters, once the temple opens to the public, Ayodhya city authorities anticipate a monthly tourist influx that will exceed 45 lakhs each month.
This is the route to get to Ayodhya.
Currently, Ayodhya, which is in Uttar Pradesh, is directly reachable by rail and road. Lucknow has the closest airport to the city.
Notably, the Maryada Purushottam Shri Ram International Airport in Ayodhya is scheduled to open for business in January of next year.
Direct flights to Ayodhya have been announced by IndiGo and Air India Express; regular flight operations are scheduled to start on January 6 and January 16, respectively.