Lucknow: Senior BJP leader Uma Bharti has decided to skip the bhoomi pujan of Ram temple on 5 August as she is concerned about the health of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is set to attend the event in Ayodhya.
The BJP leader said on Twitter Monday that she has asked the Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas and the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) to remove her name from the list of invitees.
She expressed concern for the invitees, especially the PM, in view of the news that Union Home Minister Amit Shah and other BJP leaders have tested positive for Covid-19.
“Ever since I heard about @AmitShah ji and @BJP4UP leaders being corona positive since yesterday, I have been concerned about the people who will be present at the event in Ayodhya especially @narendramodi ji,” she said in her Hindi tweets.
कल जब से मैंने श्री @AmitShah जी तथा @BJP4UP के नेताओं के बारे में कोरोना पोज़िटिव होने का सुना तभी से मै अयोध्या में मंदिर के शिलान्यास में उपस्थित लोगों के लिये ख़ासकर @narendramodi जी के लिये चिंतित हूँ ।
— Uma Bharti (@umasribharti) August 3, 2020
She has informed the Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas that she will be “on the banks of the river Sarayu in Ayodhya” at the time of the programme.
मै भोपाल से आज रवाना होऊंगी । कल शाम अयोध्या पहुँचने तक मेरी किसी संक्रमित व्यक्ति से मुलाकात हो सकती हैं ऐसी स्थिति में जहाँ @narendramodi और सेकडो लोग उपस्थित हो मै उस स्थान से दूरी रखूँगी । तथा @narendramodi और सभी समूह के चले जाने के बाद ही मै रामलला के दर्शन करने पहुँचूँगी।
— Uma Bharti (@umasribharti) August 3, 2020
Bharti said she will leave from Bhopal Monday itself but as there is a possibility that she may come in contact with an infected person during the travel. “In such a situation, I have decided to keep a distance from the place and I will offer prayers to Ram Lalla once the event is over and Prime Minister has left,” she posted in her Twitter thread.
यह सूचना मैंने अयोध्या में रामजन्मभूमिन्यास के वरिष्ठ अधिकारी और @PMOIndia को भेज दी है की माननीय @narendramodi के शिलान्यास कार्यक्रम के समय उपस्थित समूह के सूची में से मेरा नाम अलग कर दे ।
— Uma Bharti (@umasribharti) August 3, 2020
Also read: Ram Mandir could cost ‘several hundred crores’ but trust building it has only Rs 15 cr for now
The Ayodhya event
The former BJP minister had said Friday that she would attend the ground-breaking ceremony this week.
“I have been asked by senior officers of the Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas to reach Ayodhya on August 4, and stay till there till August 6,” she had tweeted.
मुझे अभी अयोध्या जी के राम जन्मभूमि न्यास के वरिष्ठ पदाधिकारी ने निर्देश दिया है कि मैं 4 अगस्त की शाम तक अयोध्या जी पहुंच जाऊं एवं उनके निर्देश के अनुसार मुझे 6 अगस्त तक अयोध्या जी में ही रहना होगा।
— Uma Bharti (@umasribharti) July 31, 2020
A host of senior BJP, RSS and VHP leaders associated with the Ram Temple movement, and saints from across the country are among the invitees for the ground-breaking ceremony. PM Modi is scheduled to participate in the ceremony being organised by the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teertha Kshetra Trust.
The trust has gone ahead with its arrangements for the ground-breaking ceremony amid the Covid pandemic, saying all safety protocols will be followed.
Also read: Loudspeakers, LED screens, 3D rangolis — ‘limited entry’ plan for Ram temple event in Ayodhya