Ayodhya: Chief priest of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra trust Satyendra Das has termed the crowd of devotees thronging to Ayodhya to catch a glimpse of Ram Lalla as a “slap” on the face of those who opposed the Ram Mandir.
The trust manages the affairs of the temple.
A day after Monday’s consecration of Ram Lalla by Prime Minister Narender Modi in the new temple, chaotic scenes were witnessed at the site with devotees breaking barricades and slipping security to get inside.
As the situation showed no signs of improvement, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had to fly in to take stock of the crowd management by the administration.
“The crowd of devotees is a slap on the face of those who were creating hurdles when the Ram temple case (Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi title dispute) was in the court. It is an answer to those who were opposing the Ram Janmabhoomi movement. The lakhs of devotees coming to Ayodhya have given their answer to those opposing voices. This is the answer from the people of this country,” Das told ThePrint Tuesday.
Maintaining that the devotees should remain patient and not rush, Das said that everyone would be allowed darshan (glimpse) of the deity but they should not create chaos and cooperate with the administration.
“I request people to keep patient and wait. The darshan has been happening continuously. I understand the excitement and devotion among the devotees but they should cooperate with the administration,” he advised.
In the backdrop of the huge influx of devotees, vehicles on the roads leading to the Ram Mandir were diverted and devotees were not allowed to even walk on the stretch leading to the site.
Outside the temple, several long queues were witnessed with devotees waiting for hours to catch a glimpse of Ram Lalla.
Inside the temple premises, UP principal secretary (home) Sanjay Prasad and Special DG (law and order) Prashant Kumar were present at the sanctum to monitor the devotees. Special announcements were made by the police to manage the crowd.
Responding to the chaotic scenes of devotees breaking the barricades, Das said: “The police have been deployed for the safety and protection of devotees. So, they should be allowed to work instead of making their task difficult.”
“I urge devotees to think of others first before thinking about themselves. If there is any differently-abled person, they should help them and make way for them to enter the temple.”
Regarding the consecration ceremony at the temple, Das said that 22 January was a historic day and would be celebrated every year in the form of ‘Deepostav’.
“From now on, 22 January will be celebrated as the historic day when the Ram temple was opened after a prolonged battle of 500 years. To mark this day, every year Deepostav will be celebrated when people will light diyas in their houses,” he said.
(Edited by Nida Fatima Siddiqui)
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