Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav and his wife Dimple Yadav have indicated their willingness to attend the consecration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya on January 22 next year. However, Akhilesh has yet to get the invite from the organising committee of the temple trust.

The SP president has already said that if he gets an invite for the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ (consecration) ceremony, he will definitely go to Ayodhya. Earlier this year, Akhilesh  had said that once the Ram temple was built, he would visit Ayodhya with his entire family.  His inclination to attend the inaugural function of the temple would be a major change in the stance of the Samajwadi Party regarding Ayodhya.

A large number of dignitaries, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, are scheduled to witness the consecration event on January 22, 2024.

The organising committee related to the construction of the temple has sent invites to former prime ministers and heads of national political parties. Along with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, CPM leader Sitaram Yechury have also been invited to the event.

Meanwhile, SP MP Shafiqur Rahman Barq questioned  the construction of the Ram temple. He said it  was an injustice that the Ram temple was coming up at the place where the Babri masjid once stood. Barq said that it was unfair to demolish the mosque and build a temple. “It is unlawful, and now the government should extend the same rights to Muslims to construct a mosque in Ayodhya on the allocated land, ensuring no government intervention,” he added.