The Gujarat Assembly on Monday unanimously adopted a resolution lauding Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the successful consecration ceremony at the new Ram temple in Ayodhya with the principal Opposition Congress and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supporting it.
Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, who moved the resolution during the ongoing Budget session of the House, called it “historic”. The resolution thanked Prime Minister Modi for carrying out a “historic cultural duty that will be remembered for millennia”.
He said thanks to the efforts of PM Modi, Hindus, who were waiting for 500 years for such an event, were able to consecrate Ram Lalla into the grand temple in the Uttar Pradesh town.
Extending his party’s support, senior Congress MLA Arjun Modhwadia reminded the House it was then-PM Rajiv Gandhi who allowed foundation stone laying ceremony at the site, where the temple has come up in Ayodhya, way back in 1989.
He also mentioned about popular Ramayana serial aired on public broadcaster Doordarshan during that Congress regime which had created awareness about Lord Ram and his ideals of Ram Rajya.
“We [Congress] welcome the construction of the Ram temple and its pran pratishtha. Modi was lucky because the Supreme Court gave its final verdict when he was PM...The telecast of Ramayana serial on Doordarshan started when Rajiv Gandhi was PM in 1986. Moreover, it was Rajiv Gandhi who gave permission for laying the foundation stone for the construction of a Ram temple in 1989,” he maintained.
While he extended the support to the resolution moved by the ruling party, the veteran Opposition leader also reminded that during his speech in the house while moving the resolution, CM Patel had mentioned PM Modi’s name more than he had mentioned Lord Ram’s name.
Umesh Makwana of the AAP also supported the Bharatiya Janata Party move, and said a hospital and a college should be built in the campus of the temple where Ram Lalla’s idol was consecrated on January 22.
“The people of Gujarat became emotional for a moment when on January 22, Narendrabhai Modi, the son of Gujarat and the respected former leader of this House [referring to his stint as CM], performed the consecration [pran pratistha] of Lord Ram at Ayodhya,” Mr. Patel said.
“This was a moment of pride and honour for the people of Gujarat. It was Narendrabhai who was also the ‘sarathi’ [charioteer] of the historic Rath Yatra from Somnath to Ayodhya [launched by BJP stalwart L.K. Advani],” Patel said in his address.
“Good governance in India means administrative systems established by Lord Ram. Ayodhya of that time set an example for the world by establishing an administration based on public interest and welfare of people which was an ideal form of governance by Shri Ram,” the CM said.
He maintained that though invaders and foreign regimes destroyed India’s culture and traditions, people managed to reconstruct the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya through constitutional means because of the sacrifices made by lakhs of devotees over centuries.
“Like an ascetic sage, PM Modi did ‘anusthan’ (special rituals which included fasting) for 11 days instead of three days ahead of the consecration ceremony,” the CM said, adding that crores of Indians are proud of their faith due to such devotion by the PM.
“As representatives of people, we know PM Modi has made the people of Gujarat proud by worshiping Lord Ram who is the guardian of the people. Today is the time to express feelings of joy and pride. This Legislative Assembly thanks PM Modi for carrying out a historic cultural duty that will be remembered for millennia,” the CM stated.
On the occasion, Mr. Patel recalled the contributions of ‘kar sevaks’ (religious volunteers) and said that the BJP was the first political party which took up the cause of freeing the Ram Janmabhoomi after Independence.
He said the construction of the Ram temple was made possible due to continuous “penance” of Modi and contributions of several RSS and VHP leaders such as Balasaheb Deoras, Vishnu Hari Dalmia, Rajju Bhaiya, Acharya Giriraj Kishore, and Ashok Singhal.
