Opposition take on Bhoomi Pujan!

Ayodhya, Aug 5: Ahead of the Bhoomi Pujan ceremony of Ram Mandir, opposition leaders opted to either welcome the decision on Bhoomi Pujan of Ram Mandir or maintain silence on the ceremony. Opposition Leaders like Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi, Manish Tewari, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray have supported it.

 

 

 

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal extended greetings to the nation on the occasion of the Ram temple 'bhoomi pujan' ceremony on Wednesday. He said, "Congratulations to the entire country on the occasion of bhoomi pujan.May the blessings of Lord Ram be upon us. With his blessings, our country will get rid of hunger, illiteracy and poverty and India becomes the most powerful nation in the world. May India give direction to the world in times to come. Jai Shree Ram! Jai Bajrang Bali!".

 

On Tuesday, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray extended his greetings."Tomorrow is the 'bhumi pujan' of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. This day will be etched in history as one of the most auspicious days of Independent India. The Mandir which will be built in Ayodhya will go beyond the aura of a Mandir. lt will stand tall as a 'monument of victory' of us Hindus over our exasperation and helplessness. It's a monument of the indomitable spirit and patience of the countless Hindus. Thus, this moment is an exceptional one and its importance is unparalleled," he said.

 

Further, he also remembered, the founder of Shiv Sena Balasaheb Thackeray on the eve of the Bhoomi Pujan of Ram Temple in Ayodhya and said if he was alive his happiness would have been unparalled. "This struggle has been a relentless story and be it either the judicial battle or creating a riveting atmosphere of consensus, the efforts made by Narendra Modi government have been remarkable and I wholeheartedly thank them for the same," Raj Thackeray said.

 

On Tuesday, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra released a statement, in Hindi, a day ahead of the ceremony scheduled in Ayodhya stating, "On August 5, 2020 the ceremony for bhoomi-pujan of Ramlala's temple has been scheduled. With the blessings of Lord Ram, may this event spread his messages of national unity, brotherhood, and cultural harmony. Lord Ram has an impact on the culture of the Indian subcontinent and around the world and he belongs to everyone." Quoting poets such as Maithilisharan Gupt and Nirala, the Congress leader highlighted the many attributes of the Lord and added that "Ram wants the welfare of anyone, that is why he is the 'maryada purushottam'."

 

 

Earlier, the NCP chief Sharad Pawar had stated that "some people think coronavirus can be eradicated by building a temple." Addressing a press conference here, he said, "We are all thinking of how to fight the battle against coronavirus but some people think that coronavirus will be mitigated by building a temple. 

 

On the other land, Manish Tewari in a tweet, quoted the famous bhajan ‘Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram..’ which was widely popularised by Mahatma Gandhi and coupled it with a picture of Lord Ram and goddess Sita. “Many congratulations to the fellow citizens and devotees for the Ram Mandir bhumi pujan,” he tweeted in Hindi.

 

Meanwhile, there were some leaders like Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati who treid twist the story. "Supreme Court ended the dispute. Along with it, it has also put a stop on the parties which were doing politics on this issue. It is due to the honourable court's verdict that the foundation of the Ram temple is being laid down today, a lot of credit for this goes to the court.BSP had always maintained that it will accept whatever decision the Supreme Court gives. Everyone should accept it now. This is BSP's advice," she said in a tweet.

 

After the bhumipujan ceremony was announced, except a few opposition leaders such as Congress leader Digvijay Singh questioning the nature of the muhurat calling it inauspicious whereas Shiv Sena Chief and Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray had called for a virtual ceremony due to Covid-19 and AIMIM's Asaduddin Owaisi calling it unconstitutional and left parties condemning its live telecast by public-funded national broadcaster, the opposition has largely been cautious to "not let down any Hindu sentiment."

 

Meanwhile, the DMK has maintained silence against the temple ceremony after it stated that it respected the SC verdict in 2019 and so far, SP President Akhilesh Yadav too, did not comment on it.