New Delhi: BJP leaders such as Lal Krishna Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi, who invested a major part of their political career for the movement of Ram Mandir at Ayodhya, are yet to be invited for the ground-breaking ceremony of the same, which is to be held on August five.
ETV Bharat spoke to the people who are closely associated with these two veterans and learnt that the two BJP stalwarts were yet to get the invite.
Sources close to the former deputy prime minister Advani said that there has been no invitation from any organisation or trust involved in the temple work.
"We have not got any invitation to attend the ground-breaking ceremony," a source close to Advani said. He said: "there's no question of attending the event without invitation".
Similar views were expressed by the people at Joshi's place. They too said there has been no invitation and he would not go anywhere unless and until there is an invite.
An agency report from Ayodhya, however, claimed that that invitation for the ground-breaking ceremony had been sent out to two hundred people, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Advani and Joshi.
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Advani, who undertook a Rath Yatra from Somnath to Ayodhya in September 1990 with a resolution to build Ram Temple at Ram Janmabhoomi, succeeded in building sentiment in favour of the temple.
He started the Rath Yatra on September 25, 1990 and it was supposed to reach Ayodhya on October 30. However, he was stopped before he could reach the destination.
Both the leaders were also accused of inciting violence and getting the historic Babri Masjid demolished in 1992. A case against the two and others is still pending in the court of law.
Meanwhile, preparations are in full swing for the ceremony in Ayodhya.
Prime Minister Modi is likely to reach Ayodhya for the ceremony at the invitation of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teertha Kshetra Trust. It would start from the 3rd of August, and end with the laying of the foundation by Modi on the 5th of August.
Trust member Champat Rai has reportedly said that he expected the Ram Temple to be completed within three to three-and-a-half years.
