SAMBALPUR : Leader of Opposition (LoP) and Sambalpur MLA of BJP Jaynarayan Mishra has requested Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to declare a public holiday in the state on the occasion of the consecration ceremony of Lord Ram’s idol at Ayodhya on January 22.
In a letter addressed to the chief minister on Tuesday, Mishra said ‘Pran Pratistha’ consecration of Prabhu Sri Ram along with the new grand Ram mandir will be inaugurated on January 22 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“On this auspicious occasion regarding great God of Hinduism Prabhu Sri Ram, the whole nation is a part of it. This occasion is also a matter of joy and great happiness for people of Odisha. Hence, I would request you to kindly declare January 22 as a public holiday so that all the devotees of Lord Sri Ram will be able to be a part of it,” said the senior BJP leader.
Talking to TNIE, Mishra said every Hindu has a divine connection with Lord Ram. “All of us were waiting for this day to witness the grand opening of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. The state government declared January 17 as a public holiday for the inauguration of the Puri Parikrama project. It should also declare January 22 as a holiday considering the sentiments of people for Sri Ram at large.”
The LoP also took a dig at the state government over the heritage corridor project. He said, “Playing with the religious sentiments of people of Odisha in the name of Lord Jagannath and destroying the age-old mutts which were pillar of Sanatan dharma, in the name of Srimandir Parikrama is a political gimmick which the state government has used to fulfil its agenda. The inauguration of the project just ahead of the unveiling of Ram Mandir is also a calculated move.”