"BJP using Lord Ram for its political gains": DMK leader

The DMK leader was reacting to the official invitation extended to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the consecration ceremony of the Ram temple in Ayodhya on January 22, next year.

"What can I say? They have demolished history and replaced it with mythology. Any country should be proud of its history, it should know the history. Ram's birth is mythology, it is a story from Ramayana. It is literature. They want to replace history with mythology. That is what the BJP is trying to do. With these people in power, what can we expect?...He wants to make use of it as a political tool. He is not interested in Ram. BJP does not consider Ram as an important thing but their political gain becomes important so they are making use of Ram for their political gains," Elangovan said.

Meanwhile, the Congress also criticised the BJP over the invitation with party leader Salman Khurshid alleging that the January 22 event next year is being made into a program of just one party.

The Congress leader questioned if god is now limited to one party.

"Is the invitation going to just one party? I cannot comment on who would reach and who would not. But is God now limited to one party? The invitation should be for everyone... It is being made into a program of just one party. Is this a party program or related to only one person?... Invitations should have been sent to everyone," Khurshid said while speaking to ANI.

Earlier on Wednesday, PM Modi received a formal invitation for the consecration ceremony of the grand Ram temple in Ayodhya on January 22, next year.

Calling it a day full of "emotions", PM Modi said that he feels "blessed" and that it is his good fortune that he will be witnessing such a historic occasion.

"Today is a day full of emotions. Recently, the officials of Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust came to meet me at my residence. He has invited me to come to Ayodhya on the occasion of the consecration of Ram temple," PM Modi wrote on X (Formerly Twitter)

"I feel very blessed. It is my good fortune that, in my lifetime, I will witness this historic occasion," his post read.

Champat Rai, General Secretary of Ram Janambhoomi Trust, said on Wednesday that the idol of Lord Ram will be installed at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya on January 22 next year.

"Today, along with members of the Shri Ram Janambhoomi Trust, we met Prime Minister Narendra Modi. We have invited him (PM Modi) to come on January 22 to install the idol of Lord Ram in the Garbhagriha. He has accepted our request. He will be present on January 22. The date for 'Pran Pratishtha' on January 22 is confirmed," Champat Rai said.

It is pertinent to note that the Supreme Court's verdict in 2019 on the Ayodhya dispute paved the way for the construction of a grand Ram temple. Following the apex court verdict, the centre set up the Shri Ram Janma Bhoomi Tirtha Kshetra' Trust to take all decisions regarding the construction of a magnificent Ram Temple in Ayodhya.

The construction of the temple has been progressing at a steady pace under the supervision of the Trust. The idol of Ram Lalla will be in the sanctum sanctorum of the temple.

The foundation stone for the construction of the Ram Temple was laid by PM Modi on August 5, 2020. (ANI)