According to sources, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has made the decision to abstain from attending the inauguration ceremony of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya on January 22. Additionally, it is anticipated that her political party, the Trinamool Congress (TMC), will not be dispatching any representative to partake in the event.
Although the official stance of the TMC is yet to be declared, insiders from the party close to Mamata Banerjee revealed their reservations. They expressed concern about the party becoming entangled in the political narrative orchestrated by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). It is perceived that the BJP aims to exploit the inauguration of the Ram Mandir as a strategic element for its 2024 Lok Sabha election campaign, and the TMC is reluctant to play a subordinate role in this context.
This development unfolds within the context of the Ram Temple trust extending invitations to all chief ministers and prominent figures from opposition parties for the ceremonial event. Earlier, Sitaram Yechury, the general secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), declined an invitation, emphasizing that religion should remain a personal choice and not be manipulated for political advantage.
In a communication posted on X (formerly Twitter), Yechury's party criticized the BJP and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) for transforming a religious ceremony into a state-sanctioned affair. The inauguration of the newly constructed Ram temple is scheduled for January 22, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, and an anticipated attendance of over 6,000 people at the elaborate "Pran Pratistha" ceremony.
