"It is their problem": BJP's Manoj Tiwari after Congress declines invitation to Lord Ram Lalla 'Pran Pratistha'

New Delhi: After Congress decided to skip the Ram Temple event in Ayodhya later this month, Bharatiya Janata Party leader Manoj Tiwari on Wednesday said that if the grand old party feels that Lord Ram is not theirs, it is their problem.

The BJP MP said that it is the same party who once questioned Lord Ram's existence.

"How will they go for the darshan? Isn't it true that Congress fielded senior advocates to ensure that the Ram Temple is not constructed there?

They called Lord Ram, a fictional character. The rejected Ram Setu...This has been their mindset from the beginning. I don't think their thinking is going to change," Tiwari said.

This came after the Congress' senior Congress leaders--Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury--'declined' the invitation to the 'Pran Pratistha' ceremony of Lord Ram Lalla in Ayodhya on January 22.

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh alleged that the grand event is "clearly a Bharatiya Janata Party and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh event".

Reacting to this, Manoj Tiwari said, "Lord Ram belongs to not only the BJP and RSS but to every individual...If Congress feels that Lord Ram is not theirs, it is their problem."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to attend the installation of the idol of Ram Lalla at the grand temple on January 22. As per temple officials, the ceremony will be held for seven days starting from January 16.

Preparations are underway in full swing for the Ram Temple 'Pran Pratishtha' on January 22, which will draw dignitaries and people from all walks of life. The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has decided to enthrone Ram Lalla at the sanctum-sanctorum of the Ram Temple at noon on January 22.

Vedic rituals for the Pran-Pratishtha ceremony of Ram Lalla in Ayodhya will begin on January 16, a week before the main ceremony.

A priest from Varanasi, Lakshmi Kant Dixit, will perform the main rituals of the consecration ceremony of Ram Lalla on January 22. From January 14 to January 22, Ayodhya will mark the Amrit Mahotsav.

Ayodhya, the birthplace of Lord Rama, holds great spiritual, historical, and cultural significance for the people of India. (ANI)