All chief ministers to be invited for Ayodhya Ram Temple stone laying ceremony

The ceremony at Ayodhya is not likely to have more than 200 attendees says a trust official.

The Ram Temple trust has decided to invite all chief ministers to the foundation laying ceremony on August 5 at Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to be present in person for laying the foundation stone on the occasion.

The stone laying ceremony for the Ram Temple in Ayodhya will be held on August 5 even as preparation for the construction is in full swing at a workshop in Ayodhya. (PTI Photo)

Earlier, a member of the trust had confirmed that invitations will be sent out to prominent figures associated with the Ayodhya Ram Temple movement including former deputy prime minister L K Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, Uma Bharti and Vinay Katiyar for the ‘Bhoomi Poojan’ ceremony.

Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray and Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar’s name was also mentioned by a member of the trust as possible invitees but there was no formal confirmation.

“Before laying the foundation stone, PM Modi will offer prayers to Lord Ram at the temple and Lord Hanuman at Hanuman Garhi Temple. All chief ministers will be invited to the programme,” Swami Govind Dev Giri, treasurer of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Tirtha Kshetra said in Pune.

Shiv Sena has confirmed that Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray will attend the ceremony; however, the timing of the foundation stone laying ritual has invited criticism from opposition party leaders such as NCP chief Sharad Pawar and Maharashtra Congress president Balasaheb Thorat.

While Pawar suggested that building a Ram Temple was not going to help in mitigating the present crisis engendered by the coronavirus outbreak; Thorat accused the BJP-led government at the Centre of using the ceremony to distract from its alleged failures on Covid management front.

Another NCP leader had urged Thackeray to not attend the religious function alleging it was against propriety for someone holding a constitutional post in a secular democracy. However, the NCP had distanced itself from the comment.

Ram Temple trustee Govind Dev Giri also said that not more than 200 people including 200 invitees will be present for the function and social distancing norms will be followed during the ceremony.

According to an official of the trust quoted by PTI, Union home minister Amit Shah, defence minister Rajnath Singh, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat will be among other important invitees apart from Advani, Joshi, Bharti and Katiyar, who are facing a trial in the Babri Masjid demolition case.

The Shiv Sena on Wednesday claimed that the dismissal of the Babri mosque demolition case before the ground-breaking ceremony for the Ram temple construction would be a true homage to “martyrs” of the Ram Janmabhoomi movement.

92-year-old LK Advani’s statement is to be recorded through video conferencing in the case before a special CBI court on July 24.

Ram Mandir trust spokesperson Nritya Gopal Das said five silver bricks will be placed inside the sanctum sanctorum during the ceremony. The bricks are believed to symbolise five planets as per the Hindu mythology