Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath are among the expected 6,000 attendees set to grace the momentous consecration ceremony of the grand Ram temple on January 22nd.
A senior Trinamool Congress leader informed news agency PTI on Wednesday that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is not expected to be present at the consecration ceremony, known as ‘Pran Pratishtha,’ of the Ram temple scheduled for January 22 next year in Ayodhya.
According to sources within the TMC, it has been conveyed to the agency that neither the Chief Minister nor any West Bengal government official or TMC member will partake in the upcoming event.
A senior TMC leader expressed, “Mamata Banerjee or any representative from the TMC will not be present at the Ayodhya Ram Mandir inauguration next month. We firmly stand against intertwining politics with matters of religion.”
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) stance regarding the Ayodhya event follows a previous decision by the Communist Party of India (Marxist), which declined the invitation. Sitaram Yechury, the leader of CPI(M), emphasized that religion should be regarded as a personal decision.
“Our approach is to honor religious convictions and the freedom of each person to follow their beliefs. Religion should remain a personal choice and not be manipulated for political purposes. Despite receiving an invitation, Comrade Sitaram Yechury has stated he will not participate in the ceremony,” he stated in a post on X.
The consecration event of the Ram temple in Ayodhya has caused division within the opposition bloc ‘INDIA.’ Dimple Yadav, a leader from the Samajwadi Party, expressed her willingness to attend the event if extended an invitation.
Sanjay Raut, leader of the Shiv Sena (UBT) faction, stated that an invitation for party chief Uddhav Thackeray to visit Ayodhya was unnecessary due to their party’s longstanding association with the town. “There’s no necessity to invite Uddhav Thackeray to Ayodhya. Our presence in Ayodhya predates yours (the BJP),” Raut was quoted by PTI as saying.
The Congress conveyed gratitude to the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust for extending an invitation but refrained from disclosing its stance on whether senior leaders would attend. “They’ve extended an invitation to us, and we’re appreciative of it. Let’s wait and see,” remarked Congress general secretary KC Venugopal.
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