JOIN USBhoomi pujan: An event sans the architects of the Ram Temple movement
Amid the grand preparations for Wednesday's ground breaking ceremony at Ayodhya, many, especially the old timers, would surely miss the absence of almost all those who had spearheaded the Ram Temple movement.
Senior BJP leader LK Advani, who, as the then president of the saffron party, had embarked on a 'Rath Yatra' from Somnath in Gujarat to Ayodhya in 1990 and had been arrested in Bihar by the then Chief Minister of the state Lalu Prasad Yadav, would be witnessing the ceremony via video conferencing.
The official reason cited for Advani's absence was his old age and the Covid-19 pandemic.
Another key figure in the movement and senior BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi too would be absent and like Advani, would witness the event via video conferencing. The reason for his absence also was old age and pandemic.
Senior BJP leader Kalyan Singh, who was the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, when the Babri Mosque had been demolished by thousands of karsevaks on December 6, 1991, was also advised to skip the ceremony owing to his old age.
Singh had earlier said that he had been invited and had also expressed his willingness to attend the ceremony.
Even former Faizabad MP and firebrand saffron leader Vinay Katiyar was not among the list of the invitees. A disappointed Katiyar said that his role had ended with the demolition of the mosque.
While the BJP leaders here preferred to toe the official line, a few seers and opposition leaders slammed the saffron party for ignoring the architects of the Ram Temple.
"It (BJP) does not want to give any credit to the old timers....a majority of those, who will be present at the ceremony, had no role in the Ram Temple movement," said a prominent Ayodhya-based seer preferring anonymity.
"These leaders (Advani, Kalyan, Joshi) should have been invited...the event has been reduced one party show," senior Congress leader Pramod Tewari said.