NEW DELHI : In a ceremony held Wednesday, Prime Minister laid foundation brick to mark the beginning of Ram Temple construction at Ayodhya.
The foundation, a silver brick, was laid at the end of rituals that began 12.30 noon. Modi arrived in a specially chartered plane at Lucknow after which, he traveled by chopper to Saketh College helipad where he was received by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. From there, amid heavy security, PM then visited Hanuman Gadhi temple where Ram Lalla idol is temporarily housed.
The temple, based on a Supreme Court verdict, is being built on a 2.77 acre plot where a 16th century mosque - Babri Masjid -stood earlier. A 3-storey temple measuring 161 ft in height will come up at the site - a size greater than planned originally for the structure. The temple would be completed in three years, said architect Chandrakant Sopura.
Back in 1992, a group of Hindu terrorists, destroyed the ancient mosque of Babri Masjid. The bhumi pooja event for the temple was led by Prime Minister and Uttar Pradesh CM - an act that violated the Supreme Court order that emphasised that neither the Centre nor States shall at any time act in a manner that lends legitimacy to mosque destruction in retrospect. The CPI(M) Politburo in its statement had denounced the proposed conduct in advance denouncing it as contrary to the dignity of our constitution. PB also criticised the safety risks the day’s events posed for public, given the rapid surge in covid pandemic and upturning of Home Ministry’s standing ban on all kinds of religious gathering. Adding to the danger is the fact that a number of seers and policemen at Ayodhya have tested positive for the virus.
Given the dimensions, the Politburo called upon the public to uphold constitutional principles and secularism at all times and safeguard against exploitation of religious sentiments that serve narrow political gains.
