Prime Minister Narendra Modi has instructed his colleagues during the weekly cabinet meeting that took place at his residence at Lok Kalyan Marg in New Delhi to participate in the Ram Temple Pran Pratishtha ceremony on January 22 in individual capacity as the event is a “huge victory” of the belief and trust of millions of Indians, top sources told News18.
PM Modi is learnt to have told his colleagues to light diyas at their home, and distribute food to the poor on the occasion.
One of the most ambitious plans of the BJP in the run-up to the 2024 elections is to organise Darshan at the Ram Temple for crores of people after the consecration ceremony. PM Modi is said to have advised his Cabinet that they need to “personally oversee” the preparations for people to be sent to Ayodhya by trains from different locations. A source told News18 that the PM has advised the cabinet members that they should also travel by train with the devotees for the Darshan.
The BJP has already started preparations on the ground ahead of the opening of Ram Temple for public. Several top leaders of the party, including three general secretaries — Sunil Bansal, Vinod Tawde and Tarun Chugh — have been camping in the holy city of Ayodhya over the last 7 to 10 days preparing for bring in devotees from across the country.
In the last Cabinet meeting a couple of weeks ago, the PM issued similar instructions to his colleagues.
“While each minister is expected to be present in his constituency, he or she needs to take adequate precautions to ensure that any controversy or controversial remarks can be avoided. Nobody should get provoked by the comments made by the opposition and do not get trapped in any such gimmick,” a source quoted PM Modi as saying this to his colleagues earlier.
The messaging from the PM comes after several opposition leaders have expressed fear about the breaking out of communal clashes ahead of the grand ceremony.
CMs to Visit Ayodhya After Republic Day
Sources say that the BJP leadership has asked its chief ministers to visit the Ram Mandir soon after the Republic Day along with their council of ministers. It has also asked them to inform their plans, well in advance, to the Uttar Pradesh government and Ayodhya administration to ensure that the CMs of two states don’t visit the temple on the same day.
BJP sources indicate that the chief ministers along with their ministers have been “advised” to “mingle” with devotees, particularly from their states, while in Ayodhya.
With its win last December in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan, the BJP now rules 12 states in India while it is in coalition in four.
Sources say, soon after January 22, there will be an immediate rush of devotees to Ayodhya. Also, all state units will be busy in holding nationwide NaMo Nav Matdata Sammelan on January 25 when PM Modi will be addressing 50 lakh first-time voters.
PM’s Ritual
Announcing his ‘Anushthan’ (ritual) for 11 days ahead of Pran Pratishtha, PM Modi has been visiting various temples across the country from Panchavati in Nashik to Rama Temple in Kerala, following the trail of Lord Ram.
Sources close to the PM said he has decided to observe the rituals that anybody would do for the glorious ceremony at the Ram Temple. Not only does the PM has chosen to sleep on the floor on a blanket but is only consuming coconut water throughout the day.
PM will inaugurate the grand Ram Temple at Ayodhya on January 22 that will witness a much-anticipated return of Lord Ram to his ‘Janmabhoomi’ after decades of mass movement and legal tangle.
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath, UP governor Anandiben Patel among other political leaders will be present at the event.
Invites have been sent close to 8,000 VVIPs, including celebrities such as Rajinikanth, Amitabh Bachchan, Chiranjeevi, Kangana Ranaut, Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt among others.
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