RJD Chief Lalu Yadav Declines Ram Temple Consecration Event Invitation; Says, 'Will Not Go To Ayodhya'

Patna: RJD chief Lalu Prasad on Wednesday made it clear that he would not participate in the consecration ceremony of Ram Mandir to be held in Ayodhya on January 22.

While talking to newspersons this morning, Lalu said, “I will not go to the consecration ceremony of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.”

Lalu Yadav Speaks On Seat Sharing Talks Within INDIA Bloc

When asked about the ‘delay’ in the seat sharing arrangement among the grand alliance`s allies for upcoming Lok Sabha election, RJD chief tersely replied, “Seat sharing arrangement is not done in a short span of time”. Lalu`s remark on the seat sharing is at variance with that of several senior JD (U) leaders who have on a number of occasions expressed their concern over 'slow pace' of the seat sharing exercise. Bihar chief minister and JD (U) president Nitish Kumar had earlier said that the INDIA bloc should finalise its future strategies quickly.

When asked about Nitish`s alleged displeasure with the INDIA alliance, “There is no any such matter (of Nitish`s annoyance). Such matters keep happening.”

Ever since Nitish had declined the post of INDIA`s convener offered by Congress in a recently-held virtual meeting of the alliance`s topnotch leaders, speculation is rife that Nitish was unhappy with the opposition INDIA alliance.

Senior JD (U) leader and Bihar Finance Minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhay had said recently that the grand alliance should work out a seat sharing formula soon so that the campaigning for the Lok Sabha election could start on time. He had also alleged that no sincere efforts had been made to give a final shape to seat sharing, adding that the national campaign by allies of the INDIA opposition bloc as earlier planned had also not been launched so far. “We hold the view that we have not progressed as we had planned earlier,” he had remarked.

Earlier, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury had declined the offer to participate in the consecration ceremony. Nitish has not revealed so far whether he would go to the consecration ceremony of Ram delay Mandir.