Congress Party's Statement on Ayodhya Temple Ceremony Invitation

New Delhi: Congress Leaders Receive Invitations for Ayodhya Ram Temple Ceremony, Attending Unconfirmed

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, former party chief Sonia Gandhi, and the leader of the party in the Lok Sabha, Adhir Chowdhury, have been invited to the consecration ceremony of the Ram temple in Ayodhya on January 22. The Congress expressed gratitude to the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust for extending the invitation but remained tight-lipped about whether the party’s top leaders would participate.

According to sources, senior Congress leaders may not attend the ceremony. Congress general secretary KC Venugopal confirmed that the party leaders received invitations but refrained from making any definitive statements.

During a press conference, Venugopal acknowledged the invitation, stating, “They have invited us, and we are sincerely thankful. Let us wait and see.” When asked about the party’s attendance, Venugopal remarked, “You will learn about the party’s stance. On January 22, you will know who will be attending.”

Individual invitations were sent to Kharge, Gandhi, and Chowdhury, with reports suggesting that the Ram Temple construction delegation, including Nripendra Mishra, extended the invitations to Gandhi and Kharge.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to be present for the installation of the idol of Ram Lalla at the grand temple. Following the consecration ceremony, Mandal Puja will span 48 days starting from January 24, and public darshan of Ram Lalla will commence on January 23.

Former president Pratibha Patil, former prime ministers Manmohan Singh and HD Deve Gowda, and heads of various political parties have also been invited. However, chief ministers and governors are not part of the invitee list.

Several prominent religious and constitutional institutions, including heads of major temples like Kashi Vishwanath and Vaishno Devi, along with spiritual leader Dalai Lama, Mata Amritanandamayi, yoga guru Baba Ramdev, and actors Rajnikanth, Amitabh Bachchan, Madhuri Dixit, Arun Govil, film director Madhur Bhandarkar, and industrialists Mukesh Ambani, Anil Ambani, renowned painter Vasudev Kamat, and ISRO Director Nilesh Desai, are among those to be invited.

Overall, while the invitations have been acknowledged, the Congress Party’s attendance at the Ayodhya Ram Temple consecration ceremony remains uncertain, and clarity on their participation is expected on January 22.