L K Advani, one of the main architects of the Ram Temple movement, did not find mention in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's speech after the bricklaying ceremony for the Temple at Ayodhya on Wednesday.
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, who also spoke on the occasion, however, did mention Advani in his address.
''Advaniji apne ghar ein is karyakram ko dekh rahe honge'' (Advaniji must be watching this program at his home), Bhagwat said.
He said that the former RSS chief Balasaheb Deoras had told him that it would take 20-30 years for the Ram Temple movement to yield results. ''It has yielded result in the 30th year,'' he added.
Bhagwat said that Ram Temple would give 'self confidence' to the people of the country, which was needed to make it 'atmanirbhar' (self dependent).
He also asked the people to shun their differences and enmity. ''We will have to take everyone along if we are to develop,'' he said.
Other than Advani, two other key players in the Ram Temple movement, Murli Manohar Joshi and Vinay Katiyar were also absent. The office-bearers of Shri Ramjanmabhoomi Teerth Trust, which was overseeing the Temple construction work, cited their old age and the pandemic for their absence. Former Madhya Pradesh chief minister and another important player in the movement Uma Bharti, however, made a last-minute entry into the program after saying earlier that she would remain in Ayodhya but stay away from the event.
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