NCP confirms Uddhav is invited for Ayodhya bhoomi pujan; sets terms for CM's participation

As August 5 was confirmed as the date for laying the foundation stone of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, it was reported that senior party leader Lal Krishna Advani, Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh are likely to accompany PM Modi for the event. Clarifying on reports stating that Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has not been invited, NCP spokesperson Majeed Memon on Tuesday said that he has indeed been invited and would visit, following the COVID-19 restrictions, in his personal capacity. The NCP leader, in what may be taken as a rejoinder or a warning, said that a leader of a 'secular democracy' should not promote 'religious activity'.

Earlier on Monday, Memon had said that CM of Maharashtra is at liberty to go to Ayodhya as an individual following his faith. Indicating a reluctance to make any comment on the relationship between the two allies, he clarified that the aforementioned views are his own.

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Sparking a controversy on Monday, NCP supremo Sharad Pawar, while addressing a press conference in Solapur, said that while the country is still fighting with the Coronavirus pandemic, some people are focussed to build temples. "We are all thinking of how to fight the battle against Coronavirus but some people think that Coronavirus will be mitigated by building a temple. But our priority is to see how to improve the economy which has been affected due to lockdown. The lockdown has created an economic crisis and we want to request the State and Central government to pay attention to the issue," Pawar said.

READ | Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh likely to join PM Modi in Ayodhya for Ram Mandir 'Bhoomi Pujan'

The Ayodhya verdict 

The Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court in its verdict on November 9, 2019, awarded the entire disputed area in Ayodhya to the Hindu parties, after a 40-day marathon hearing. It directed the Centre to formulate a scheme within three months which will be responsible for building a temple. On the other hand, the SC ordered that an alternative land of 5 acres in Ayodhya would be given to the Sunni Central Waqf Board for the construction of a mosque. 

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Ram Mandir Trust formation & meetings

Prime Minister Modi had announced the formation of the Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust in the Lok Sabha on February 5, with his own former Principal Secretary Nripendra Misra heading the construction committee. The committee has met several times and has invited the PM to lay the foundation stone when the construction begins. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, on March 25 performed special puja and shifted Ram Lalla from the makeshift temple in Ayodhya to another a pre-fabricated temple in the same premises. 

Amid the relaxed restrictions of Coronavirus lockdown, Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teertha Kshetra Trust met on July 18 in Ayodhya. The temple construction will commence after the foundation stone-laying ceremony. The trust has estimated that construction of the temple will be completed in 3-3.5 years i.e by 2023. The ceremony was previously stalled due to India-China's face-off, as per the trust.

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