Amid the opposition parties accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led centre of playing 'politics' in the name of the 'Pran Pratishtha' ceremony at Ayodhya's Ram Temple, Acharya Satyendra Das, Chief Priest of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple, said on Tuesday that it is not 'Rajneeti' (politics); it is 'Dharmaneeti' (righteous path).
"It is not 'Rajneeti'; it is 'Dharmaneeti'. They keep talking rubbish about the Prime Minister. The BJP will answer that. However, I belong to 'Dharmaneeti'. All I have to do is serve 'Ram Bhakts'. I am a priest and I have nothing to do with politics," Acharya said while speaking to ANI.
The 'Pran Pratishtha' ceremony for Shri Ram Lalla will be held on January 22.
Meanwhile, the opposition parties have been questioning the BJP over the timing of the same, given the Lok Sabha polls scheduled to be held this year.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said on Tuesday that the RSS and the BJP have made the January 22 function at Ram Temple in Ayodhya "a completely political Narendra Modi function" and that it is difficult for Congress leaders "to go to a political function that is designed around the Prime Minister of India and around the RSS."
The Congress has turned down the invitation to the mega ceremony, calling it a "BJP/RSS" event.
As the Vedic rituals began on Tuesday, a week ahead of the main ceremony, Acharya Das said, "The rituals have started. All the procedures will be carried out by Acharyas and later on January 22, the Pran Pratishtha of Ram Lalla will be held at the grand temple in Ayodhya."
"After the installation of the Ram Lalla idol, a 'Puja' will be performed and the idol will be given a bath. Later, Ram Lalla will be decorated with 'Mukut' and 'Kundals', followed by an 'aarti'," he added.
Pran Pratishtha of Lord Ram's idol will take place at the grand Ram Temple in Ayodhya on January 22 in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Elaborate arrangements are being done for the ceremony.
A team of priests led by Lakshmikant Dixit will perform the main rituals of the Pran Prathistha of Ram Lalla on January 22.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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