In the lead-up to the highly anticipated Pran Pratishtha of Ram Lalla at the Ayodhya temple later this month, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has reportedly received a letter urging him to block his dates for the ceremony. According to sources within the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the letter, received a few days ago, conveyed an informal invitation, with a promise of a formal invite and detailed information to follow.
As of now, no subsequent formal invitation has been received by Kejriwal, as per party sources. The Pran Pratishtha ceremony for the installation of the idol of Ram Lalla is scheduled to span seven days, commencing on January 16, with the main event set for January 22. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to attend the grand ceremony.
In a parallel development, the Congress party has declined the invitation for the ‘Pran Pratistha’ ceremony, branding it as an event of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). Senior Congress leaders, including Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, have reportedly declined the invitation.
Jairam Ramesh, the party’s general secretary, released a statement explaining the decision, stating, “While abiding by the 2019 Supreme Court judgment and honouring the sentiments of millions who revere Lord Ram, Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury have respectfully declined the invitation to what is clearly an RSS and BJP event.”
The Congress’s stand on the Ram Temple inauguration characterizes it as a political project of the BJP and RSS, bringing forth accusations of electoral motives. The grand ceremony is set to mark a historic moment in Ayodhya, with the installation of the idol of Ram Lalla at the newly constructed temple.
