SP leader meets Champat Rai, wants to attend Ram Mandir’s ‘Pran Pratishtha’

Ayodhya : In a clear indication of changing political alignments ahead of Lok Sabha elections, Samajwadi Party (SP) MLA from Amethi, Rakesh Pratap Singh, on Thursday met Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra General Secretary Champat Rai.

Singh asked mediapersons not to politicise his visit.

The SP leader met Champat Rai and said that he has written a letter to the Uttar Pradesh Assembly Speaker to take those MLAs to the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ programme on January 22, who have faith in Lord Ram.

“I have written a letter to the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly demanding that he should take along those MLAs of Uttar Pradesh who have faith and belief in Lord Ram, who are born in Hindu religion and know Sanatan Dharma because Ayodhya is in Uttar Pradesh from where we are MLAs and hence it is our right to participate in the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ on January 22,” he added.

He also said that he has only come to have the ‘darshan’ of Lord Ram and there is no politics in this.

“Today I came to have ‘darshan’ of Lord Ram and to pay my respects to the Trustee. Do not connect this with politics in any way. It is not right to connect religious sentiments with politics. We do politics through the spirit of service,” he added.

Interestingly, the SP MLA’s visit comes at a time when his party’s stand is still not clear on whether they will attend the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ programme on January 22.

Recently, a poster has been put up outside the SP office with the message, “Our revered Lord Shri Ram is coming” ahead of the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ ceremony.

In response to the poster outside the SP office, Bharma Shankar Tripathi, a leader from the party, said that “Lord Ram is revered by all, and therefore, no one has exclusive rights over him, he belongs to everyone”.

“The party has put up this poster outside the party office to express that we all consider Lord Ram as our revered deity,” he added.

Meanwhile, calling the Ram Temple inauguration an event of the BJP and RSS, Congress has turned down the invitation for the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ ceremony of Ram Lalla, scheduled later this month in Ayodhya.