Notable Absences: Shankaracharyas And Opposition Figures Shun Pran Pratishtha Event

As Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to headline the 'pran pratishtha', or consecration ceremony, of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya in a mega spectacle, several opposition leaders have decided not to attend the event.

The Congress declined its invite saying "religion is a personal matter". While MP Rahul Gandhi called it a "Narendra Modi function", West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee also underlined the religion-politics divide.

NCP chief Sharad Pawar also declined the invite saying that he would visit Ayodhya at a later date to get a “darshan”.

Apart from this, RJD patriarch Lalu Prasad Yadav, and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray have also turned down invitations.

Taking to X, the SP leader Akhilesh Yadav also said that he received the invitation but would prefer coming to Ram temple as a visitor after the consecration ceremony.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has also decided not to attend the elaborate ceremony. Instead, he plans to visit Ayodhya with his wife, children, and parents after the conclusion of the grand ceremony.

Lastly, the four Shankaracharyas, upset over the reduced significance granted to them in the ceremony, have also decided to opt out of it.

They have said that the consecration ceremony of Ayodhya’s Ram Mandir is not being done according to the Sanatan Dharma, hence, none of them will be present in the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ ceremony.