Ayodhya Ram temple consecration is a political event by BJP & RSS: T'gana Minister

HYDERABAD: Reacting to the row over conducting Pran Pratishta even as the Ram temple is under construction, Telangana Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy said that the Ayodhya event is a "political event" of the BJP and RSS for "electoral gains".

"Everyone feels that the Ayodhya event is a political event by the BJP and RSS to gain an advantage in the elections," said the Telangana Minister.

This comes after the four Shankaracharyas of Sanatana Dharma declined the invite to Pran Pratishtha and claimed that it was incorrect to carry out the ceremony in an incomplete temple.

Speaking to ANI about the row, Reddy said, "All four of our Shankaracharyas have said that the Pran Pratishtha in an incomplete temple is not right. Everyone feels that this event is a political event by the BJP and RSS to gain an advantage in the elections. We will visit the temple but after it is completed."

Earlier on Monday, Swami Nischalanand Saraswati Maharaj, the Shankaracharya of Puri, disclosed that the decision of the four Shankaracharyas is rooted in the deviation from established traditions during the installation of the Ram Lalla idol.

Swami Nischalanand Maharaj revealed to ANI why the four Shankaracharyas are not attending the Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha event.

"The Shankaracharyas uphold their dignity. This is not about ego. Are we expected to merely sit outside and applaud when the Prime Minister installs the idol of Ram Lalla? The presence of a 'secular' government does not imply the obliteration of tradition," he remarked.

Meanwhile, there has been a lot of hue in the opposition over four Shankaracharyas reportedly skipping the event.

Opposition parties, including the Congress, have claimed that some seers have decided against attending the January 22 event after objecting to the 'Pran Pratishtha' ceremony at an 'incomplete temple'.