MUMBAI: Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar said India’s economy is in trouble but "some" people are more interested in constructing Ram mandir. If coronavirus goes away by constructing Ram mandir, they are welcome, the veteran added.
Sharad Pawar was in Solapur on Sunday where he said that India’s economy is struggling but the central government is more interested in constructing the temple. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to inaugurate the groundbreaking ceremony of Ram Mandir at Ayodhya on August 5, 2020.
“The central government need to take several measures to contain the spread of the virus. The businesses sector is suffering a lot. But some people are more interested in the construction of the temple. If the construction of Ram mandir can contain the virus, then they should surely start its construction,” Pawar said.
BJP MLC and leader of opposition in Upper House Pravin Darekar asked if Sharad Pawar, who is the architect of Maha Vikas Aghadi, thinks the construction of Ram Mandir will not help, then why his government's chief minister Uddhav Thackeray prayed before Vittal to end the pandemic.
Meanwhile, Arvind Sawant, the Shiv Sena MP from Mumbai South, told PTI thatLord Ram was a matter of faith for his party, and that it will not indulge inany politics over the issue.
"Shiv Sena is a leading light of the Ram Mandir movement (Sena president) Uddhav Thackeray had visited Ayodhya before becoming chief minister and even after taking charge," he said.
The Sena, the NCP and the Congress are partners in the Maha Vikas Aghadi government.
Sawant said ensuring health of people and providing them safety are priorities of the Sena-led state government, which is the concept of 'Ramrajya' (a rule of justice and truth).
"We are doing precisely this in our (the state government's) fight against coronavirus in Maharashtra," he said.
Modi is likely to visit Ayodhya on August 5 for the "bhoomi pujan" ceremony to begin the construction of a grand Ram Temple, and the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teertha Kshetra has begun preparations for it, its members said on Sunday.
According to Trust president Nritya Gopal Das, the "bhoomi pujan" will be performed with the placing of a 40-kg silver brick at the sanctum sanctorum.
Three-day-long Vedic rituals, beginning August 3, will precede the main ceremony.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Aadityanath will also join the "bhoomi pujan" ceremony.
"I cannot tell the exact date but we have got information that the PM's visit has been tentatively scheduled for August 5," said Triloki Nath Pandey, the decree holder of the Ram Janmabhoomi mandated by the Supreme Court.
After a protracted legal tussle, the Supreme Court had on November 9 last year paved the way for the construction of a Ram Temple by a Trust at the disputed site in Ayodhya, and directed the Centre to allot an alternative five-acre plot to the Sunni Waqf Board for building a new mosque at a "prominent" place in the holy town in Uttar Pradesh.
Talking to PTI, Trust member Anil Mishra said, "An invitation has been sent to PM Modi. However, we still have not received the exact date of PM's arrival."
Before the "bhoomi pujan" ceremony, Vedic rituals will be performed by sages from Varanasi as was done during the shifting of the idol of Ram Lalla from the sanctum sanctorum to a temporary structure, said Mahant Kamal Nayan Das, the spokesperson of Trust president Nritya Gopal Das.
Priests in Ayodhya have prepared an elaborate plan for the three-day event.
Mahant Kamal Nayan Das said on Saturday, "We have suggested two auspicious dates -- August 3 and 5 -- for the prime minister's visit based on calculations of movements of stars and planets."
The decision about the tentative date was taken at a meeting of the Trust members held in Ayodhya on Saturday.
(With PTI Inputs)