Ayodhya Ram Mandir ‘pran-pratishtha’ ceremony: Who will skip consecration? List of politicians

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to take the lead in the pran-pratishtha' of the Ram Lalla's idol in the Ayodhya temple’s sanctum sanctorum.

Most opposition parties, which are part of the Indian National Democratic Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), have said that they would skip the inauguration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya on January 22.

Members of Vishva Hindu Parishad take part in a procession in Prayagraj on January 20, ahead of the consecration ceremony of Ayodhya's Ram temple. (AFP)

A host of Congress bigwigs and other opposition leaders have already turned down the invitation to the 'pran-pratishtha' ceremony.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to take the lead in the pran-pratishtha' of the Ram Lalla's idol in the temple’s sanctum sanctorum. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) has handed out invites to the who’s who of the political, business, entertainment, religious, sporting, and cultural world.

Ram temple inauguration: Top Opposition leaders who are skipping event

Congress

• Mallikarjun Kharge
• Sonia Gandhi
• Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury
• Manmohan Singh

Trinamool Congress

• Mamata Banerjee

Aam Aadmi Party

• Arvind Kejriwal

Maharashtra-based Shiv Sena-(UBT)

• Uddhav Thackeray

Nationalist Congress Party

• Sharad Pawar

National Conference

• Farooq Abdullah

Communist Party of India (Marxist)

• Sitaram Yechury

Unlikely to attend

• HD Deve Gowda
• Communist Party of India (Marxist)
• BJP veteran LK Advani
• BJP's Murli Manohar Joshi

Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav had initially declined the invite from the VHP, saying he could not accept an invite from people he did not know. Later, Yadav said he would visit the Ram temple as and when Lord Ram invited him. Then he posted on social media a letter addressed to the Ram Temple Trust, thanking them for inviting him, and stating that he would visit with his family after the consecration.

Influx of devotees in Ayodhya

Seeking to ensure a smooth entry and exit for visitors arriving in Ayodhya for the Ram temple consecration ceremony on Monday, the Uttar Pradesh government has made arrangements for parking at 51 designated locations in the city.

With parking spaces for 22,825 vehicles, these spots will be under drone surveillance and are conveniently marked on Google Maps to facilitate guests, officials said on Sunday.

Special parking provisions have been made for VVIPs, VIPs, and other guests, ensuring a well-organised and equipped setup, they said.

(With inputs from agencies)