Suspense over invite to LK Advani, Joshi for 'bhoomi pujan' in Ayodhya

Suspense prevailed over whether BJP veterans L K Advani and Murali Manohar Joshi will be physically attending the August 5 groundbreaking ('bhoomi pujan') ceremony for Ram temple at Ayodhya on August 5 or whether they will be formally invited.

No formal invitation was extended to Advani by Saturday evening, a source close to the party veteran said.

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When contacted the national spokesperson of VHP Vinod Bansal said the invitation part for the event is being seen by Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, which was set to oversee the Ram Temple construction work after the Supreme Court verdict in favour of the temple in November last year.

“We do not have a list of all who are being invited but we know that phone calls are being made by the Trust since Saturday morning to all those who are being invited,” Bansal said.

BJP sources in Lucknow said that the message has been conveyed to Advani and Joshi that they are very much welcome if they want to come. They, however, hastened to add that it appears they will be more interested in attending the event through video conferencing owing to factors like their age and security in view of a pandemic situation.

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Advani, who was the face of the Ram Temple movement in the nineties has turned 92 and appeared along with Joshi and others before a CBI court in Lucknow in Babri mosque demolition case via a video link last week.

A VHP functionary when pressed on the issue of whether Advani will attend the event or not, flagged the age of the veteran BJP leader and also Covid-19 protocol in place which advises that elderly people should avoid public gathering as they are at high risk.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will be among those physically attending the event, which will have a limited gathering due to Covid-19.