The demand to declare January 22 as a public holiday for the Ram temple consecration in Ayodhya is gaining momentum. The BJP, led by state president Chandrashekar Bawankule, has urged Chief Minister Eknath Shinde to designate the temple opening date as a holiday in Maharashtra. BJP-ruled states like Uttar Pradesh and Goa have already declared a holiday, closing educational institutions. Assam and Chhattisgarh have chosen to observe a liquor-free day on January 22.
Bawankule, speaking with media from his residence in Koradi, emphasized that on January 22, millions of Indians will celebrate a monumental Diwali by lighting lamps to mark the grand reopening of the shrine. Taking a swipe at the Congress for its stance on Lord Rama in the Supreme Court, he criticized the party for rejecting the invitation to the temple’s inauguration, a dream for millions of Indians. “The grand old party had claimed that Ramayana is fictional and even sought Rama’s birth certificate. For all these years, Congress worked to appease only one community to garner its votes. leaving its hands stained with the blood of Rama’s devotees. He predicted that the opposition’s boycott of the consecration ceremony would lead to a strong response from the people.
