After Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray said he has not received invitation for the January 22 consecration of Lord Ram temple in Ayodhya, chief priest at Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple on Sunday has said that invitations have been extended only to those who are "devotees of Lord Ram".
Saying that he has not been invited for the consecration ceremony, Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday stressed he doesn't need a formal invite as Ram Lalla belongs to everyone and that he would visit the temple town in Uttar Pradesh whenever he felt like.
Reacting to this, Acharya Satyendra Das, Chief Priest at Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple, on Sunday said, "Invitations are only extended to those who are devotees of Lord Ram. It is totally wrong to say that BJP is fighting in the name of Lord Ram, our PM is respected everywhere. He has done immense work under his tenure. This is not politics. This is his devotion."
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The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has been inviting several prominent personalities and political leaders of the country for the grand event.
Talking to reporters, Thackeray had said Shiv Sena had undertaken a long struggle for the Ram Janmabhoomi movement, adding that his father and Sena founder Bal Thackeray's voting right was "snatched" for campaigning for the Ram Temple and Hindutva during a bypoll.
Taking a veiled swipe at BJP, Thackeray had said, "I only expect that political event shouldn't be made out of it [the consecration ceremony]. Lord Ram is not the property of any single party. This is the matter of faith for crores of people".
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Acharya Satyendra Das also lashed out at Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on his remarks "BJP is left now to announce Lord Ram as their candidate".
"Sanjay Raut has so much pain that even he can't express that, they were the ones who used to fight elections in the name of Lord Ram. Those who believed in Lord Ram are in power, what nonsense he is talking about? He is insulting Lord Ram," news agency ANI quoted the chief priest as saying.
