Lalu Yadav refuses to attend January 22 Ram Temple event

Patna: RJD Chief Lalu Yadav on Wednesday announced his decision to abstain from the eagerly awaited Pran Pratishtha ceremony of Ram Temple at Ayodhya scheduled on January 22. “No I won’t attend the event in Ayodhya”, Mr. Yadav told reporters in Patna without giving any specific reason for his refusal. Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with several top dignitaries including political leaders, film stars, sports personalities and religious gurus have been invited to the event.

The opposition parties including the Congress had previously declined invitations, labeling it a BJP-orchestrated political function. Lalu Yadav’s refusal has created discontent within the BJP in Bihar. Many BJP leaders reacted strongly to Lalu Yadav’s statement saying that “it was he who had arrested BJP leader LK Advani and played a significant role in disrupting the Rath Yatra. The dream of 450 years is becoming a reality. People of our country are eagerly waiting for the Pran Pratishtha ceremony”.

When he was asked



about the delay in seat sharing among the alliance partners, Lalu Yadav said that “such issues take time”. His statement on seat sharing is different from that of RJD ally JD(U), which has voiced apprehensions regarding delay in resolving the matter. The JD(U), a key INDIA bloc partner, had previously expressed dissatisfaction over the delay in finalizing seat-sharing arrangements with the alliance partners. JD(U) leaders had emphasized the need for an early resolution, stating that it would benefit the alliance.

Reports suggest that JD(U) has conveyed to the RJD that it would retain the sixteen seats it won in the 2019 Lok Sabha election and secure the Kishanganj seat where the party holds the second position. In his statement, Lalu Yadav also clarified that Nitish Kumar was not upset with alliance partners. There has been speculation about Nitish Kumar’s dissatisfaction ever since he turned down the Congress party’s offer to accept the convenor post of the INDIA bloc.