Amid Ram Temple Celebrations, What Opposition Leaders Are Doing

The grand consecration ceremony at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya is set to begin in a few hours. Religious leaders, film stars, sportspersons, musicians and other noted personalities have flown in from across the country for the event.

More than 10,000 people have been invited for the pran pratistha ceremony that would be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The list is exclusive. So much so that Yogi Adityanath, Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, where Ayodhya is located, is the only BJP Chief Minister to receive an invitation. BJP leaders across the country have organised public screenings of the ceremony in Ayodhya.

The temple trust that is organising the event had invited several Opposition leaders, but they have decided to stay away. While some have accused the BJP of politicising a religious event, others have said they would visit the temple later. The question, then, is what will key Opposition leaders do today as the ceremony in Ayodhya gets underway.

Rahul Gandhi In Assam

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who is in the Northeast for Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, is scheduled to visit Batadrava Than, the birthplace of 15th century social reformer Srimanta Sankardev. Mr Gandhi has said he was being stopped from visiting the temple. Questioning the restrictions, he asked, "We want to visit the temple. What crime have I committed that I cannot visit the temple?" 

The visit, likely to take place after the Ram Temple ceremony is over, earlier sparked a heated exchange between Assam's BJP Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Congress leaders. Mr Sarma has urged Mr Gandhi to avoid visiting Batadrava Than to prevent creating a "notion that there is a competition between Ram Temple and Batadrava Satra".TV channels, he said, will be flashing the Ram Temple ceremony on one side and Mr Gandhi visiting Srimanta Sankardeva's birthplace on the other. "This won't be good for Assam," Mr Sarma said.

The Than has requested the Congress leader to visit after the Ayodhya ceremony because it expects heavy footfall during the event.

Accusing the Assam Chief Minister of creating hurdles in the Congress yatra, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh has said Mr Sarma "loses his mental balance whenever he hears the name of Congress and Rahul Gandhi".

The Congress has today planned a nationwide protest against a BJP protest on Rahul Gandhi's Yatra route, a video of which has gone viral. The visuals show a group of BJP workers raising 'Jai Shri Ram' and 'Modi, Modi' slogans while Mr Gandhi's convoy is passing by. Mr Gandhi stops the vehicle and walks into the crowd of the BJP workers. BJP leaders said Mr Gandhi "lost his cool", but the Congress responded that love will triumph over hate.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, who had been invited for the Ayodhya event with Sonia Gandhi, is also at the forefront of Mr Gandhi's yatra now passing through the Northeast.

Mamata Banerjee's 'All-Faith Rally'

As the Ayodhya ceremony gets underway, Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee will hold a parallel rally in Kolkata, calling for religious harmony. Ms Banerjee, who received an invite for the Ayodhya event, will first visit the revered Kalighat temple to offer prayers. She will then hold the 'all-faith rally'.

The BJP has accused her of trying to create distraction from the Ayodhya event and had even approached the high court to halt the march, but failed. The Trinamool has responded that it has organised such rallies in the past too.

Senior Trinamool leader and Ms Banerjee's nephew Abhishek Banerjee has said his religion has not taught him to embrace a place of worship built over "hatred, violence and the dead bodies of innocents".

The state BJP said such a statement when the country was awaiting the consecration ceremony was made out of "hopelessness".

AAP Plans Recitals, Bhandaras

Shobha yatras, bhandaras, Sundar Kand recitals and aartis are among a long list of events planned by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Delhi today to mark the Ayodhya event. The party's ministers, MLAs and councillors will participate in these community events.

AAP leader and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had earlier said that he had been informed that he would be formally invited for the event, but that did not happen. "But it doesn't matter. In the letter, they wrote that a lot of VIPs and VVIPs would come to the event and, for security reasons, only one person would be allowed. I want to visit with my wife, children and my parents. So we will go later," he had said.

Mr Kejriwal has urged all AAP ministers, MLAs, councillors and workers to participate in shobha yatras, contribute to the bhandaras and serve the people on to mark the grand event.

AAP has maintained that "Lord Ram does not belong to any specific political party". "He represents the greatest ideals of Indian civilisation that adorn humanity. So CM Arvind Kejriwal will surely go to seek his blessings, and all party leaders will line up together to visit with their families," a party spokesperson said.

DMK vs BJP In Tamil Nadu

While the MK Stalin-led DMK has made it clear that it does not agree with the building of a temple after "demolishing a mosque", the BJP has alleged that the ruling party in Tamil Nadu was refusing permission for public screenings of the Ayodhya event. The DMK has refuted the charge and accused the BJP of trying to divert attention from its youth conference in Salem.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has alleged that Tamil Nadu government has "banned" watching the live telecast of the Ayodhya Ram Mandir event. She alleged that no puja, bhajan or prasadam in the name of Shri Ram is being allowed at temples managed by the state government. "Strongly condemn this anti-Hindu, hateful action," Ms Sitharaman posted on X.

Earlier, DMK minister and Mr Stalin's son Udhayanidhi Stalin had referred to the Ayodhya event and said, "We don't have a problem with a temple coming up there. We are not in agreement with the construction of a temple after demolishing a mosque."

The BJP yesterday referred to comments by Udhayanidhi Stalin and other Opposition leaders and asked people to identify "adharmi" (irreligious) people.

Veterans Sharad Pawar, Lalu Yadav To Skip

NCP chief Sharad Pawar has thanked the temple trust for inviting him, but said he would be visiting the Ayodhya temple after the ceremony when it is less crowded. His contemporary and Rashtriya Janata Dal patriarch Lalu Yadav will also stay away. Mr Yadav, who hit headlines when he stopped the LK Advani-led Rath Yatra to rally support for the temple, told the media last week that he would skip the event. He did not cite a reason. Among other Opposition leaders, Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav has said he will visit the temple with his family after the pran pratistha ceremony. He has thanked the organisers for the invitation.

Uddhav Thackeray, who heads the Shiv Sena (UBT) faction, will also stay away from the Ayodhya event. His aide and party leader Sanjay Raut has said Mr Thackeray will offer prayers at Kalaram temple in Nashik and perform a 'maha aarti' on the Godavari river bank.

Mr Raut also slammed the invitation to Mr Thackeray on speed post. "Lord Ram will curse you. All film stars are invited, but the Thackeray family that has been closely associated with movement is treated in such a manner," he said.

The CPM had earlier said it would skip the event, saying that while it respects the religious sentiments of the people, "it is not right" for the BJP to "combine religion with politics".