Senior Congress leader Karan Singh on Friday said that after the Supreme Court's Ayodhya judgement, there should be no hesitation in attending the consecration ceremony at the Ram temple on January 22.
In a statement, Singh said he has received the "beautiful invitation" to the "historic pran pratishtha ceremony", but he will not be able to attend it due to medical reasons.
The ceremony "will be celebrated by about a billion Hindus around the globe," he said.
"As a Raghuvanshi myself, and having made a modest personal donation of Rs 11 lakh towards the construction, it would have been a great pleasure to attend. Regretfully, nearing 93, it will not be possible for me to do so on medical grounds," the former Union minister said in a statement.
"However, our family Dharmarth Trust (J&K) is organising a special celebration on this occasion at our famous Sri Raghunath Temple in Jammu, and we are also doing so on a smaller scale at our Shri Ram Mandir on Lodhi Road," he said.
After the Supreme Court judgment, there should be no hesitation in attending the function, if invited, the former governor of Jammu and Kashmir asserted.
Top Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Wednesday "respectfully declined" the invitation to attend the Ram temple consecration ceremony, with the party accusing the BJP and the RSS of making it a "political project" for electoral gain.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and more than 6,000 people are expected to attend the ceremony.
The Ram temple trust has invited 4,000 seers from across the country and 50 guests from foreign countries.
The BJP and the RSS and affiliate Hindutva organisations like the Vishva Hindu Parishad have launched a nationwide mass connect programme in the run-up to the ceremony, urging people to visit the holy place after the consecration ceremony
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Featured Video Of The Day
Just Triptii Dimri Slaying In Black At An Event
10/10 If You Can Guess Anushka Sharma's Special Connection To Ayodhya Aerial Video Shows Ayodhya Glittering With Over 25 Lakh Diyas On Deepotsav Video: Ayodhya Sparkles With Over 25 Lakh Diyas On Deepotsav, A New Record How Rift Grew Between AAP and Kailash Gahlot Saudi Executes Over 100 Foreigners In 2024: Report X User Seeks Relief For Middle Class. Nirmala Sitharaman Responds Attack On Hmar Village In Manipur By Suspected Meitei Militants Sparked Violence "Will Ask India To Send Back Sheikh Hasina": Bangladesh's Muhammad Yunus All About The Indian Satellite To Be Launched By Elon Musk's SpaceX Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.